2018 for Sandalwood begins with Bruhaspati directed by Nanda Kishore under Rockline Productions. This is the second movie from actor Manoranjan, and it gives the actor a mass image.
He is at an age where he can experiment with different genres, before settling into what he thinks is the best. As Friday draws closer, City Express has a chat with the actor about what defines ‘mass’.
He says, “I started with Saheba, which had two fights choreographed by Ravi Verma. As a newcomer, I realised, that there is a different perception about ‘mass films’ among the audience. According to them, ‘mass’ includes bombastic dialogues, the entry of a hero, fights and so on. Though Bruhaspati will not have all of this, there will be a few of these elements and it will position me as a mass hero”. The young actor says that he believes ‘mass’ is a term for commercial movies, but he does not believe in beating up a person for it. “Moreover, Bruhaspati has a social message,” he says.
Why do the audience accept only a few as mass heroes? Manoranjan says, “Before making my debut, I was told that I will fit into a lover boy role and that I carry my father’s (Ravichandran’s) style… but that opinion has changed, after they watched my first film. Even people in the industry suggested that I try an action film because they believe I do stunts well and have an angry young man’s appearance. This was news to me. Therefore I thought of trying a commercial formula this time”. But the actor adds that he would like to up his fight and dance acts in his third film. “My strength lies in both,” he says, adding, “I hope, I can do justice to both genres”.
The trailer and teaser already show bits of Ravichandran’s signature style in his son Manoranjan. “Hats off to Nanda sir, who knows how to pull the crowds. He has affection for me, and observed my personality and believed in my dedication. He worked out something that I could pull off,” he says.
He is equally excited to work with a big production house. “Rockline is a thorough professional and, at the same time, made sure that I am comfortable. In fact, I stayed out of Bengaluru for 30 days shooting in Mysuru, but he made sure I didn’t miss home. He wanted continuous dates because he wanted me to step into the character,” he says.
Having said that, Manoranjan found his role in Bruhaspati challenging. “It was hard to pull off, because it was originally Dhanush sir’s film. He scores 25, whereas I am at 2. Though I can’t match up to him, I tried to play the character as closely as possible,” he says.