Life has changed for Ganesh Venkatraman post the Kamal Haasan-starrer Unnai Pol Oruvan (2009). The model-turned-actor, who made his silver screen debut with Radha Mohan’s Abhiyum Naanum (2008), is a busy man these days with projects like Nayaki, Thodari, 7 Naatkal and Inayathalam (which deals with cyber crime) in his kitty.
Ganesh is comfortable doing roles that makes sense to him as an artiste — even if that means not playing the lead. “When I sign a movie, I make sure that my character has a massive impact on the minds of the audience. To me, only that matters,” he says.
The actor represented India at the Mr World Contest and made it to the top five back when he was a software programmer in Mumbai. He later quit his job as he found it mundane. “Acting seemed to be the logical option and to sustain yourself in the industry, you need to be versatile. I slowly ventured into theatre plays and commercials, and eventually started doing films,” he recalls.
Though he has done quite a few films, Ganesh is still elated each time he sees himself on screen. “I am not here to measure success or show what hits mean to me. Besides expressing myself, I’ve always been keen on learning and enjoying the journey. Most of my roles I’ve done are character-driven ones. Wherever I go, people greet me with a warm smile; that keeps me happy,” he says.
Having portrayed a slew of cop characters, ask Ganesh if they are his favourite roles and he laughs, “Maybe Unnai Pol Oruvan has set a high standard for a cop role? I don’t know. But many directors have approached me for the same because I feel I’ve an apt physique and usually keep myself fit. I’m into gymming and do a bit of martial arts. After all, they (cops) are powerful characters that any leading Tamil actor can portray on screen. My grandfather was an assistant commissioner in Mumbai. But he died when my dad was barely 15. I handled all khaki-clad roles well and feel proud about it.”
But what if he gets stereotyped as an actor? “It’s not about me getting stereotyped at all! I’ve always wanted to build credibility as an actor. If the audience loves to see in more cop roles, why not?” he grins.
Ganesh counts himself lucky for having shared screen space with legends like Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal and Nagarjuna, among others. “I am a method actor myself and learnt a lot by observing those legends. Each one has his own method of preparation. I am open to all industries and can confidently say that I have a flair for languages. I can easily pick them up,” he says.
In Nayaki, while Trisha plays an aspiring actor, Ganesh will portray a cinematographer. “Set in the ‘70s, Nayaki is a retro horror comedy. I am a great admirer of Trisha. It’s good to act with her after almost eight years,” he smiles. Juggling TV reality shows and films, the actor says he took time to learn to balance both. “Life is all about learning,” he chuckles.
So, is there anyone he aspires to work with in particular? Ganesh says the list is pretty long, but adds, “I have immense respect for filmmakers as they create wonderful artistes like us. I want to work with Mani sir, Shankar sir, Rajkumar Hirani and new-age directors like Karthik Subbaraj and Nalan Kumarasamy. I am also open to working with anyone who would extract the best from me.”
Before concluding, he says he’d love to do a full-fledged romantic movie like Vaaranam Aayiram (2008). “Here’s a big shout-out to all filmmakers. I want to do roles like what Rajesh Khanna and Dev Anand saab did in Bollywood, because I am a true romantic at heart. You can ask my wife Nisha more about that,” he winks.