The Adhu Idhu Edhu guy MA KA PA Anand turns a full-time actor with Rajmohan’s Vanavarayan Vallavarayan (VV), which will hit theatres this month. The RJ-turned-actor speaks on his films, particularly VV, in which he shares screen space with actor Kreshna. Ask him how the transition has been from radio to big screen, he says, “It wasn’t easy in the beginning. I had to wait for a proper break. Meanwhile, I was just interviewing small-time actors.”
Anand says that he never wanted to be an actor. “I aspired to become a copywriter, but that never happened. Pattiyal Sekar and Kreshna convinced me to take up acting in VV. Like Santhanam and Sivakarthikeyan, I want to break the myth that familiar small screen faces can never have a promising opening in cinema. I have to thank my director Rajmohan for the confidence he gave me. He said he wanted me in and that was it. I want to slowly and steadily climb the success ladder,” he says.
“VV is a rural subject and a full-on family entertainer. I play Vallavarayan (Kreshna’s brother). Initially, it was tough facing the camera for films,” he says.Ask Anand why, and he says it was because he was being conscious of not making mistakes. “I am usually jovial and spontaenous on sets. But shooting reality shows is different from shooting films. I didn’t want my co-artistes to repeat the shots because of me,” he says.
“It has been challenging for me to switch from anchoring to acting. In films, all I have to do is go by the director’s words. Rajmohan was able to pull it off well. Despite VV being a two-hero subject, I said ‘yes’ to it because working with another hero can never be an issue for a beginner like me. Kreshna is friendly and has taught me a lot on the sets. It was such an energetic team to work with. With a huge starcast including Sowcar Janaki, SP Charan, Kovai Sarala, Thambi Ramaiah and Jayaprakash, VV will be a treat for all ages,” says Anand.
Anand is also working on Panjumittai and Atti, he plays a gana singer in the latter. “In Panjumittai, I play Appu. The film is based on magical realism. It’s all about fantasy,” he says. Can we expect him to sing in his films? He says, he would love to sing if somebody teaches him the nuances. “I am already learning it. Thanks to Super Singer,” he says. “With my sense of timing in dialogue delivery, I think I am suitable for light-hearted roles,” he says.
Anand is excited about working in VV, for which Yuvan Shankar Raja is scoring the film. “I love his romantic numbers. When I was an RJ, I used to play a lot of his numbers on the station. And somehow, the opportunity to work with him has only come now, that too for my debut project,” he says.
Future plans? He says he would love to act in Sundar C and Vishnuvardan’s films. “Also, I am trying my hand at dance movements and martial arts,” he says.
So, does that mean he would quit anchoring prime-time TV shows? “No, that can never happen. Television has been pretty much supportive always,” he says.