After winning the hearts of television audiences, Sivakarthikeyan is establishing himself as an actor of repute in the Tamil film industry.
The man, whose unassuming smile, witty remarks and sharp retorts have made him a popular face on television, has slowly but steadily progressed to blossom into a full-fledged hero with the recent release of Manam Kothi Paravai ( MKP) directed by Ezhil.
Says Sivakarthikeyan: “I never intended to be an actor. As a stand-up comedian, my ambition was to become an anchor. I never dreamt that I would become a hero. Thanks to the reach of television, I got noticed and I have so far done three films, including MKP , in which I play the lead along with Athmiya Rajan, a newcomer from Kerala.”
Although Sivakarthikeyan has done two other films — Pandiraj's Marina and Aishwarya Dhanush's 3 — before MKP , his roles in them were such that he didn't have to carry the entire burden of the films on his shoulders. Says Sivakarthikeyan: “The story of Manam Kothi Paravai revolves around my character Kannan and his love interest played by Athmiya. The story has a rural backdrop as opposed to my other two films which were set in the city. I play a guy who looks after his dad's construction business in MKP . He has this habit of exaggerating everything about himself. On one occasion, his conceit lands the heroine in serious trouble. It is a simple story with a refreshing screenplay. The film has several comedians such as Srinath, Suri, Chaaums, Singam Puli and Kishore — we had a blast shooting for it,” says Sivakarthikeyan.
About his director, Sivakarthikeyan says, “Ezhil has been wonderful to work with. He would make us all sit in a circle, explain each and every scene to us and then give us a free rein, allowing us to improvise. This has resulted in each one of us coming up with the best.”
Talking about his roles, one can't help but wonder why the actor, whose performance in 3 came in for much praise, was conspicuous by his absence in the second half of the film. “Actually, the second half of 3 was shot first. It was when they began shooting the first half that Aishwarya Dhanush watched me anchor the Vijay Awards and wanted me to be part of the film. That's how I happened to be in the first half,” says Sivakarthikeyan.
Future projects
Even before his MKP could hit the screens, offers started coming the actor's way. Has he accepted any? “I will be acting in Pandiraj's yet-to-be-titled venture — my second with the director. That apart, I will be working on director Senthil's film. He is an associate of director Vetrimaran. The film is to be produced by Dhanush. Priya Anand and I will play the lead in it.”
