It takes a dozen phone calls before I’m finally able to connect with Shanmuga Pandian. He is away at Amsterdam and says he might not be able to make it back before the release of his film Madura Veeran , which also stars Samuthirakani. Interrupted constantly by a broken connection, the young actor speaks about his career and more.
Was being an actor your first choice?
I was always interested in movies, but not as a career. I wanted to become a football player back when I was in school, and I was also trained at Manchester United. But I went through a few injuries and that took me away from the sport. But I soon delved into photography. I’m very good at it. One of my photos was selected in a competition and it was displayed in Hollywood.
How did your first film, Sagaptham , happen?
My dad asked me if I was interested in acting when I was in my third year of college in Loyola. I was just 21, but it was a really good experience. There wasn’t any pressure; he just wanted me to try it out.
Were you nervous?
I was. At least for the first few days. But I felt comfortable when it came to doing action scenes. I jumped from a 21-storey building for a sequence. I had no experience, but I could still do it. I think action comes naturally to me.
What was tough then?
Romance. But I have this way of becoming close to everyone on the sets. Once I develop a friendly relationship, then it becomes easier to talk freely.
Do you select all your scripts?
My mother and my brother listen to scripts first. If they like it, then they tell me the one-liner. Then, I listen to the narration along with my father. The four of us take a joint decision after that. We must have listened to over 200 scripts before Madura Veeran .
What did you like about the narration?
Even before I listened to it, my parents were excited about it. I was away then, but I listened to it when I got back, and within a month, we started shooting. The film’s director, Muthiah, was that well-prepared.
How was it for a Chennai boy like you to work in a Madurai film?
Not really. I felt at home when I was in Madurai. It’s my hometown after all. Everywhere I went there, people would come up to me and say ‘thambi nalla irukkiya?’, ‘thambi saaptiya?’ Everyone knew my dad, so it helped.
How important was cinema before you got into it?
I grew up watching all kinds of films... be it English, Tamil or Hindi. We used to watch previews of my father’s films. But it changed a lot after I watched a first-day first-show of my dad’s Gajendra . With crackers and abishekams, I could see people celebrating the film like it was a festival. Every kid thinks his father is a hero, but I witnessed it.
Which of his films is your favourite?
There are many, but my favourite is Sathriyan . I want to do films like that.
What about politics? Do you discuss such things at home?
We discuss all kinds of things. Ours is a very normal family. Whenever my dad is at home, we talk for hours together. We have a bull mastiff named Lucky and we love to play with him. Right now, my focus is on Madura Veeran and my acting career. I want to become like my father. Even he didn’t know that he would become a politician one day.
