The Chance of a Lifetime
Actor Amzath is on cloud nine post his role in Vallinam. With offers and recognition from the public pouring in, things couldn’t be better for him. Amzath started his filmi journey with Pugaipadam opposite Priya Anand two years ago, but its only now that his career has really taken off. In a chat with CE, Amzath talks about how Vallinam has shaped his career.
A former marketing executive for a radio FM channel, Amzath was bitten by the theatre bug. “I joined Stray Factory, a bilingual theatre group and I was part of the Tamil plays.” Soon the step into films came, with Pugaipadam directed by Selvaraghavan’s assistant Rajesh Lingam. “Incidentally, Arivazhagan noticed me in the film on Vijay TV, apart from some of the short films I did for the Naalai Iyakkunar TV show, Season 2. When I heard about auditions for Vallinam, I tried my luck and I was selected,” he recalls.
But there was one hitch. All the main actors had to know how to play basketball. “So I lied and said I knew how to play since I desperately wanted to be part of his film!” says Amzath. “But before the film began, I learnt to play the game by practising extensively and was ready for the shoot. Since the talkie portions were shot first, I had enough time to perfect my game. Later, I revealed it to my director. But by that time, he was happy with my game.”
In the movie, Amzath has a meaty role as Nakul’s roommate. His performance has been noticed and brought in several film offers. “It’s a great feeling to be accepted by your peers and the people,”gushes Amzath. “Vallinam has changed my life! I no longer have to audition or take my portfolio along. Directors are just asking me about my dates and availability straightaway! They already have me in mind for specific roles. I’ve finally been accepted as an actor.”
Amzath recalls the best compliments. “After Vallinam, students told me ‘you look like the guy who sits on our bench, your body language is just like ours’. They appreciated the fact that we took efforts to learn the game for the film. Vallinam has taken me to the next level and given me a wider reach.”
Amzath is now going solo as the hero in Koditta Idangale Nirappuga directed by Sasikumar’s former assistant Balan. Sarayu from Tollywood is paired with him. “It’s a love story and I’ve got a bearded look as I play a village boy,” explains Amzath. Most of the movie is completed except for a few scenes. Amzath is also teaming up with actor Raj Bharath in Majanu director Ravichandran’s next flick. “I play contrasting role of a rich, spoilt brat and it’s fully a city subject.”
About the future, Amzath says, “I want to work with good directors who can experiment with me, in both positive and negative roles.”