He faced the camera almost 17 years ago as a background dancer. And it has been a long, hard journey for Aravind Aakash, one of the three leads of C.S. Amudhan’s Rendavathu Padam , who got noticed for his roles in Chennai 600028, Goa and Mangkatha .
“My mother has been a background dancer from 1981. She has danced with Rajni, Kamal and even recently, in Vijay movies,” says Aravind.
“I started acting in serials and did a few films that didn’t release,” he says, recalling his early days of struggle.
He landed the lead role in Krishnadasi, a series on Sun TV that ran for a year and a half in 2001. “I also did a Malayalam film called Nandanam.”
But it was a meeting with Venkat Prabhu that changed his life.
“I had worked with Venkat Prabhu and SP Charan in Kaadhal Samrajyam and we became friends. Yuvan was the music director and Agathian was the director. But the film didn’t release. I did another film called Kaadhale Swaasam that didn’t release too.”
His first big break
“I don’t go and ask people for a chance. Only Venkat Prabhu gave me a role, my first big break. He gave me the wicket keeper role in Chennai 28 because I was athletic, and then I got recognised in Goa because of my six-pack,” says Aravind.
Aravind did a small role in Mangkatha as well before he got a call from C.S. Amudhan. “He told me to come to his office and said that all the characters were confirmed.
He told me the story in one line — three guys who are friends with equal importance in the film.”
Having seen Tamizh Padam , Aravind knew he could trust Amudhan on the crazy one line. “I didn’t want to hear the rest because I was so confident of him. I wanted to work with him and I got the opportunity.”
In Rendavathu Padam , Aravind plays a guy who works at a grocery store, the guy his friends make fun of. “Amudhan is a cool guy. He always makes fun of others and is a friend more than a director. But when it comes to work, he gets what he wants.”
The three leads bonded really well and the result showed on screen. “Richard I knew from 2000, when he participated in Mr. India in Bangalore. I got to know Vemal very well only during the shoot. I couldn’t have done the other two roles. So I am happy with the role I got.”
The struggle continues, he says. “Even now, I am looking to do good films. I don’t mind doing multiple hero films but I am not getting any good offers.”
