What are the problems your character dealt with in Azhagiya Thamizh Magan?
They are mostly somebody else’s problems but he gets involved in them. I am called Guru in that film. That is a good name because for some reason the name Guru on a young man denotes the ability of being a good leader. Unlike my usual films I had a special ‘Quote’ in that film.
What’s the secret behind your Quotes in films? How useful is it in films?
I have the same set of words which I deliver in different styles in different situations.My Quotes make the audience laugh because of the way i present it. I say it slowly, sometimes fast, sometimes sarcastically and the audience appreciate with laughter and claps. It was useful to make the screen play interesting.
You started as an action hero; you did as many as five films as an action star before you switched gears and started doing soft and romantic roles?
Yes I did it because I felt the need to try something else, but its just for a change.
But looking back, that was a turning point in your career “Poove Unakkaga ” ,“Priyamanavalae” were huge hits?
I know what you are going to say, you want to know why I turned my back on romance and went back to action even though I was doing extremely well in romance?
What do you think about “Azhagiya Thamizhmagan” even though it is not a successful film?
I love that film. I play a dual role of a mild mannered person who doesn’t look out for trouble.
You mean the type that is scared of a fight?
Far from that! My man does not even go looking around for a scrap. But every now and then he gets involved in some kind of trouble.
Yes and all the more when you had not succeeded greatly in action films?
The reason is the same. I can’t make it to the top doing small romantic films. Yes the soft films gave me a stand, but it was films like Puthiya Geethai, Thamizhan, Bhagawathi, Thirumalai and Gilli that gave me a full fledged hero status. The distributors and my fans like me in these types of films.Particularly when these are the very films that pulled in the maximum number of people. Why should I change a winning formula? Why fix something when it didn’t break?
A lot of your films are remakes like Pokkiri which was a remake from the original version in Telugu by Mahesh Babu. Why?
Why not? Mahesh did an awesome job and I felt like trying the same. The strange thing is that even when I listen to new stories ,some blockbusters would come up, and me along with my dad and wellwishers would say, ‘Why not do that in Tamil’? Do you know that I had listened to the story of ATM a long time ago and decided to do it? Everything was ready when Pokkiri came along and then we changed our course. It was a blockbuster so nobody could complain. As a matter of fact when we heard the story of Pokkiri we had not even decided who will direct the film. We just went ahead and acquired the right person : Prabhu Deva was the one who finally did it.
How was it working with Prabhu Deva who is actually a dance director?
Actually working with Prabhu Deva when he is the dance director is fun. He is a cool guy when it comes to choreography. After all he only had to make me dance to his steps, so he can be a relaxed person. But when he turned director he was a changed man. He was naturally on the edge. Direction is tension business.
Was he a hard task master?
Yes!! But that is because he is the captain on the ship when he directs a film. If he was in awe and would think to himself that he need not press for that final bit of perfection because I am a star he might have taken it easy. But that is not Prabhu Deva. I guess that is why he makes those hits.
Why do you use remixed songs so often?
It seems to be a trend. Directors seem to want them and my fans love them. The fact that my fans end up downloading them as ring tones must mean something.
Could you mention about your next project “Kuruvi’ and the co-workers in it?
Kuruvi is presently under production with Dharani as director and Trisha as the heroine. The music is by A.R.Rahman and that will produce sophisticated ringtones. We seem to be lucky for each other. Please wait and see how well Shriya Saran fares opposite me.
What do you reckon about your position in theindustry a NO1 or a NO2 or what?
I don't need to think about that. I really don’t care. I just want my film to be a hit and after that I want my next film to be a hit. No number business!
When will you do a film under your dad’s direction?
Actually I was scheduled to do a film with him but then Pokkiri came along. Maybe I will do one after Kuruvi.
Do you nurse an ambition to direct a film yourself?
No way. That’s one ambition that I do not have. As a matter of fact it will not happen. I do not like ‘Tension’. I leave that to other’s.
What if someone asks you to direct?
No chance.
What about films in other languages.
Not a chance. I’ll stick to Tamil.
Why do you always join hands only with the familiar and successful directors?
Not always. Some of the producers reveal that the project will be safer if that particular individual directs. I agree if my call-sheet and dates of the director are available at a stretch. This is the way and how a team happens. It may become impossible most of the time, even though I want to work with a particular director.
