Kodambakkam dreams: portrait of a shy child actor

Teen boy who grew up in a government home has played a central role in Kutram Kadithal

March 30, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 06:01 am IST - CHENNAI:

rising stars:The cast and crew of ‘Kutram Kadidhal’, which won the National Award for the best regional film of 2014. (Right) Ajay, who portrays a central character, with his directorG. Bramma —Photos: R. Ravindran

rising stars:The cast and crew of ‘Kutram Kadidhal’, which won the National Award for the best regional film of 2014. (Right) Ajay, who portrays a central character, with his directorG. Bramma —Photos: R. Ravindran

Like most people aspiring to make it big in the film industry, Ajay believes it was his impersonation of Rajinikanth that landed him a role in a Tamil film.

Having invoked the power of the Superstar thus, he found that even living in the Government Home in Royapuram was not an impediment to basking in stardust. He plays a central role in the national award-winning film Kutram Kadithal , adjudged the best regional film of 2014.

All of 15 years now, Ajay was younger still when director G. Bramma spotted his talent at the Home. Then, Bramma was with Nalandaway, the NGO, and used art as therapy for children in disadvantaged circumstances.

“Ajay was the youngest, most charming child at the Home. He found it a little tough pronouncing words, but had high energy levels. He played the lead in two plays we put up and charmed the audience,” Bramma recounts.

Ajay lurks in the background, shy and ever-smiling, enjoying his moment in the sun. For him, and his brother and mother, Kala, life has been tough since his father died, nine years ago, in Mumbai. The family came to Chennai to find refuge with relatives.

Since she had to get a job, Kala had no option but to put her young sons in a government home, as they are ‘partial orphans’. Not a bad thing for little Ajay, in retrospect.

Ever since it won the main prize at Chennai International Film Festival in December, Kutram Kadithal has been in the spotlight for the way it weaves a story around Sezhiyan (Ajay), who is subjected to corporal punishment in school, to interrogate societal mores deeper.

Ajay’s mother was a little apprehensive, but decided not to stand in the way of the greatest opportunity in her son’s life.

It was tough to get him permission to get out of the Home, but Ajay’s talent was like a beacon — one could not ignore it, even if one were looking the other way.

He first played a role in a short film, and then, there was the full-length movie, likely to be released by May-end or the beginning of June.

Cinema wasn’t always on Bramma’s mind.

“I was mainly doing a lot of theatre — street plays and the like. But, I soon understood that cinema would give me a larger audience. So, I took it up,” he says.

“Using children was a conscious decision, but we know that movies about children have a certain universal appeal. Both adults and children connect with such films easily. In a way, it was also a commercial decision,” the director says.

What about the future? “A national award for the first film has created a huge expectation. I am here to make meaningful cinema even if it means I will have to forego money. I don’t want to make money by appealing to people’s baser instincts,” he says.

As for Ajay, he’s so excited by the national award, he has not been able to sleep at night. He also cannot decide if he wants to study or keep acting, maybe, “study and keep acting in movies”.

“I’m not a great student, but I get enough marks to pass, so I want to study too,” he says, and then with a giggle, covers his mouth, shy like a boy as yet unused to the limelight.

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