Bobby Simha’s rise as an actor has been swift. After scaring the audience in Pizza , the actor has delivered strong performances in Soodhu Kavvum and Neram . He has been signed on to play the lead in five films, including one directed by Karthik Subbaraj where he will share screen space with Siddharth. The moderate successes would mean Bobby has managed to turn his ‘wild’ childhood dreams into reality, “Believe it or not, even when I was in the fourth grade, I would proudly tell my teachers that I wanted to be an actor when I grew up,” says Bobby. Though it was clear that academics wasn’t his cup of tea, he had to pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer science to satisfy his parents. Joking about his “unfinished” academic pursuits, he says, “I believe an actor needs to be empty to make sure he/she absorbs the role.”
He dropped out of college to pursue acting. “I would work in BPOs for three months, make money and then again start looking for opportunities in cinema,” he says. Bobby’s life changed once he got acquainted with short filmmaker Manikandan, who introduced him to his friend, a fellow short filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj, who directed Pizza . “We collaborated on a number of short films. Those days were like going to a film school, experimenting with various genres,” says Bobby.
While Bobby has hit a purple patch at the moment, he is also cautious. “There are people out there who are already slotting me as a ‘good villain’. I want to make sure that I carve an identity for myself as a versatile actor,” he says. His recent successes, apart from fast tracking his career, have also made sure that his finances have improved. “There were times when I walked 12 km to go back home. It is a little better today,” he says.
If he had to pick out one actor who has been his greatest inspiration, who would that be? “Rajinikanth. I wanted to become an actor because of him. I just can’t wait to meet him.”
