At the outset, there’s hardly a reason for an actor like Surya who has experimented with his mould to take up a fast paced action thriller like ‘Ayan.’ The actor, who is currently shooting for ‘Aadhavan’ in Chennai, is candid about why he chose the film.
“The script of ‘Ayan’ was not written for me. But I liked it when I went through it. I know the audience will enjoy the film as much as I enjoyed doing it,” says the usually taciturn actor.
“I must confess to being a fan of director K V Anand’s style of film making. I enjoyed Prithviraj’s smartly etched character as a villain in Anand’s ‘Kana Kandein.’ That came as a huge relief at a time when villains were stereotypically shown as ugly or crass,” Surya says.
Added to this slick style of film making is the realism which backs the storyline of ‘Ayan.’ “The movie will highlight one aspect of city life that people are hardly aware of. And it’s not fiction. Newspaper cuttings on that issue for over a decade were assembled to study the issue in depth,” he says, refusing to divulge more about the issue. “We have incorporated three real life stories into the film.” ‘Ayan’ is produced by AVM Films and has been bought by Sun Pictures. It features Prabhu in an important role.
Tamannah plays Surya’s love interest. “’Ayan’ is more than an action flick. It is a heady cocktail of romance, music, sentiment and action,” he vouches, adding that all his films, despite being commercial, have been different. “I can do only what excites the actor in me. Even if I do what people call a ‘masala’ movie, it will have new content.” That coming from a star whose commercial flicks from ‘Kaakha Kaakha’ to the recent hit ‘Vel’ have been entertaining fares makes ‘Ayan’ a film to watch out for.
Surya is completely aware of the flak ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’ has drawn as a film. But the reception for his role has been phenomenal, asserts the actor.
“People have never used the adjectives they did to describe my performance these 11 years,” he says with a smile.
Largely appreciated for doing most stunts by himself, Surya says he has one stunt which he wouldn’t do again in ‘Ayan.’ “When K V Anand said I had to jump between cliffs, it didn’t sound dangerous. It was only after doing it and seeing the shot that I realised what a risky affair that had been at 1,000 feet above the ground!” ‘Aadhavan’ is director KS Ravikumar’s next film after ‘Dasavathaaram.’ Surya calls it a new genre for both of them.
“KSR is a bundle of ideas. He is capable of giving tonnes of brilliant ideas that are the result of hours of creative thinking.
But if we feel something is not suited for a particular scene, he’ll be the first one to say ‘Okay, let’s hit the delete button’ and the scene is gone.
He doesn’t care about how much effort went into creating that scene. It’s been a wonderful experience working with KSR,” says Surya.
sharadha@epmltd.com