Parthiban’s forefathers hailed from Andhra Pradesh but he was brought up in Chennai. The writer, director, producer and actor who made his debut in Telugu with Ram Charan’s Raccha, is looking forward to act again in Telugu cinema but says direction is his first love. “Nobody’s aware that I’m a Telugu person.
We spoke only Telugu at home because my dad would insist on it. And I also nursed this dream of directing a Telugu film. Dasari and I planned a film but it didn’t click. Now, I am concentrating on my scripts and want to direct other heroes in Telugu industry.”
During a conversation with MetroPlus, Parthiban talks fondly of his daughter Keertana and how her popularity is growing in Chennai. He is proud to see her as a smart and an intelligent woman. “Keertana is working with Mani Ratnam. She is 22 and very mature for her age, I would call her a very intelligent girl.
I noticed she was talented only when she was doing Amrutha . I don’t know if she knew anything about films but she could differentiate the real and unreal even at that age. One day, I took her to the shooting spot. At the location, an actor was waiting dressed in a red dupatta, yellow pavadai , sported gaudy make up, bright lipstick and was overacting.
Keertana in a corner was staring at the heroine and while I was giving my shot, I could see my daughter giving weird reactions. I went up to her and asked her why . She asked me what was wrong with that woman and why is she overacting, shaking her cup and asking ‘Coffee venuma’ in a strange way. I was embarrassed and scared that the heroine might notice Keertana and pack her home. She was six years old then, and knew that was not acting.”
Mani Ratnam gave Parthiban the script of Amrutha and asked him to train Keertana. He did not and that is why he says Keertana acted so well. Apparently she is not interested in acting and when she was offered films by Mani Ratnam, she instead asked if she could be his assistant director.
Right now, she is working on the sets of Mani Ratnam’s next with Karthi, Dulquer and Nithya Menen.
He narrates another moment, “Lot of people approach her but she tells them to send the script first and reveals only later that she doesn’t want to act. I asked her as to why she is wasting their time. She replied that she just wanted to read the script and see how good or bad it is.
When Mani Sir asked her why she doesn’t want to act she replied ‘I don’t like to be directed, I want to be the boss.’ I am facing a lot of problems in the family and she handles everything with a lot of maturity.
She will start directing next year, with three or four producers waiting for her. Frankly speaking, I don’t have a producer to make my film but for Keertana, producers are ready,” he laughs.
