How it happened
I had a passion for acting. So, I enrolled for a course at the Tamil Nadu Film and Television Institute (Adyar) in 1994, despite opposition from my family. Only my father, M. T. Ramalingam, who is an ardent fan of director K. Balachander, supported my decision. After finishing the course, I started taking up small roles that came my way. But dissatisfied with these roles — my dream was to play hero or villain — I stopped acting for some time. One day, I met director Samy, who offered me an important role in his second venture, Sarithiram , which is yet to be released. Impressed with my performance, he gave me the role of a young father-in-law (Veeraswamy) in his third venture, Sindhu Samaveli , which earned me a good name.
How it felt
I was on top of the world when I saw the reception the movie got from the audience. The first time I saw my name on screen at a theatre, I broke down. But I recovered before anybody could notice it. The feeling cannot be expressed in words.
How life changed
On the day of the release, I watched the movie at four theatres — AVM Rajeshwari, Devi, Udayam and Abirami — along with the public. The audience response to the character (Veeraswamy) was mixed. However, they appreciated my performance and some even told me it was on a par with that of seasoned actors. I would like to thank director Samy for giving me this opportunity and helping me gain recognition.
