Karthi steams it up with Biryani

The movie, which is also Yuvan Shankar Raja’s 100 as a music director, Karthi croons Mississippi…, hoping to make use of his “refreshing raw voice”

Karthi's Telugu release 'Biryani' is slated to release later this week. - Photo: Suresh Krishnamoorthy

“When I come with Biryani , the Telugu version that will hit screens on December 20, I also promise my fans that very soon I will do a straight film here too. My brother Suriya has already launched one and I will follow suit,” says this pleasant, full-of-smiles actor.

Karthi was initially seen in Telugu in Yuganikokkadu . Initially, it helped that he was Suriya’s brother. However, over the years Awara , Malligaadu , Bad Boys , Sakuni , Naa Peru Siva – not necessarily in that order – have established this gentle actor’s ability to deliver straight Telugu films, confidently.

In

Biryani , he hopes to convince movie lovers that language will not be a barrier. He has sung

Mississippi , a rhythmic song in this. Among other things that excite Karthi is that

Biryani is music director Yuvan Shankar Raja’s 100th film.

“I loved singing in Telugu, in a tune that is from the 80s but gives a modern feel with musical instrumentation and layering of saxophone and the percussion,” says the affable actor, struggling to contain his excitement.

“A raw voice like mine will be different and the new flavour would be refreshing, is what Yuvan told me,” he says, adding that there was a distinct feeling of anticipation about this film, because too many things were different and fun about it.

“Director Venkat Prabhu is my school mate from St. Bede’s Chennai and on the sets it was like we were back in school, with a screenplay and dialogues that are as natural as they can be,” he recalls.

Points to watch out, he says, were screenplay, treatment and how it moves from being a fun-filled film in the first half, to taking on the shape of an exciting thriller in the second. One thing about the audiences here is that they do not behave like critics and tell film-makers how to be creative. They respond just like fans and say whether they like a film or not.

“I am very confident that this Biryani will be as good for viewers as the famous Hyderabadi ‘biryani’,” he says,signing off with a grin.