After his last three films failed to elicit a positive response at the box-office, Tamil actor Karthi is hopeful that his next film Biriyani will change that slump. Co-starring Hansika in the female lead and directed by Venkat Prabhu, the Tamil film has been dubbed in Telugu for the actor’s growing fan base here. Much like how actor Vikram is counting on Ai to be his next successful turning point, Karthi is hoping Biryani will be the same for him.
“See, when it comes to making films you don’t have much say in it. So sometimes they can exceed expectations and sometimes they fall short. With this film however I’m happy with the way it has turned out,” feels Karthi.
Shot in motion capture, the audience will get to see a different presentation style in the film. “The treatment of screenplay and second half has very thrilling moments; even during intense serious sequences, there is continuous comic relief. It’s musical, has dark humour and is a well-crafted film. The way it is packaged be it editing or re-recording or camera work, and the way the conspiracy is revealed will definitely be surprising for the audience,” says Karthi who is joined by talented actors like Nassar and Ramki in the film.
“Nassar sir plays the media baron in the film while Ramki plays his son-in-law. There is lot of mystery surrounding Ramki’s role. I learnt a lot from Ramki when we were doing the action scenes as he is a black belt in Karate.”
The actor who wowed critics and audience alike in films Paruthiveeran, Aayirathil Oruvan, Paiyaa and Naan Mahan Alaah, says that the audience will get to see a different avatar of him this time as well. “My look is different in terms of hairstyle and I’m wearing brown coloured lenses. It is a complete make over after Aayirathil Oruvan’s look, costume and body language.”
Talking about his character, he explains, “Unlike the other roles I have done so far, I play a college boy from an upper middle class family. He is a playboy who likes to party and have fun. The movie shows how the life of this casual, easy going youngster changes. It was a challenge for me to portray such a role.” Ask him if there was any similarity to his college life in the film, and he jokes, “There is no similarity at all as I feel it (his college life) is outdated now but my friends are very keen to see me in this role.”
Having lost weight for the role, the 36-year-old feels that having a six-pack is not important when it comes to the roles he plays. “See in this movie, I play a normal college boy. Do you see boys roaming around with abs like that? It has to look believable and natural. I’ll think about it if a role demands it.”
The actor’s look in the film is not only thing that is different this time as he has also lent his voice in one of the songs. “Since it’s Yuvan’s 100th cinema, I thought it would be a memorable song. We all felt that it would be better if the characters sing, so we went ahead with the idea. It was a little strain for me initially, I made a few mistakes while singing in Tamil as it was in a higher pitch for me. But I was able to correct it in the Telugu version which was more spontaneous.” When asked what his brother Suriya had to say about it, he states, “He said that there is lot of influence from Illayaraja and other music directors. I grew up listening to their songs, so naturally some of it is bound to crop up somewhere.”
So what is it that he looks for when it comes to choosing scripts? “It has to be interesting. All you can believe as an actor is how you feel when you hear the script; it should match with your vision. My character also has to be different.”
After acting in movies in Tamil film industry the actor is waiting for the right script when it comes to taking on Tollywood offer. “I’m waiting for the correct opportunity. Since it’s a new language, I need a good support to do it. Even to do a film with Suriya, all aspects of it should appeal to both of us.”
On a more personal note, Karthi, who got married to Ranjini in 2011 and had a daughter this year, feels marriage has completed him. “I have seen a bit of hair loss (laughs). The first few years you get to understand each other. Then having baby makes you more mature as you need more patience to deal with kids. So you go through that process.”
Biriyani is set to hit theatres on December 20.