Ashwath Ram is a gifted 10-year-old, who is getting into his sixth grade this year in Chennai Public School. “He recited the entire Aathichudi in a school competition when he was barely three years old,” says his mother, Anuradha Saravanan. Ashwath played the character of Akhilesh in Mysskin’s Nandalala (2010), depicting an eight-year-old school boy, who along with a mentally challenged adult, sets out on a road journey in search of their respective mothers.
A free-wheeling chat with the youngster takes one back to his journey in Mysskin’s Nandalala and his foray to tinsel town. “It all started in 2008. I had performed in a play, 2020 Unifying India, for the Alchemy Kids Theatre Club,” he explains. Around the same time, director Mysskin was looking for a child artist who would suit the character in his script. “The troupe recommended me for the auditions. I was asked to speak on ‘motherhood’ in Tamil. Mysskin sir was impressed and I was selected.”
Ashwath adds that he had a different understanding of what cinema was about. “I always used to think that cinema is only about acting. But after a 40-day session where Mysskin sir taught me it’s about the role and the script. I realised that cinema is all about understanding.”
After a mock two-day shooting schedule, work began and lasted for 60 days. “We shot in Gobichettipalayam, then in the Sathyamangalam forests, where I celebrated my birthday (October 23). My sister Ananya was born the next day and I was flown to Chennai to see her, after which I went back to the Sathyamangalam forests to resume the shoot.”
There were times when shooting would take place all night. “But Mysskin sir always ensured that I got ample rest before and after the shoot,” he says. Ashwath made a new friend on set, Mysskin’s daughter, Natasha. “Since I was the only child artist in the cast, I did not have company in my age-group during the shoot. Natasha used to give me company and moral support and we are good friends even now,” he says.
When the film released, Ashwath got rave reviews for his performance, not to mention a few awards as well. “Last year, I bagged the Vikatan Best Child Artiste Award and the Tamil Nadu Cinema Kalai Mandram Best Child Artist 2010,” he shares. “I was the only child artiste on stage during the felicitation for Kamal Haasan sir, for his 50 years in Indian cinema in 2009.”
Ashwath also got the opportunity to interact with film personalities like Madhavan, Cheran, Prithviraj, Pasanga Pandiraj, Nasser, Rohini and Arya. He adds, “I always felt good when they would mention and appreciate my role in Nandalala.” So, what does he want to pursue acting as a career? “I want to be an astronaut. But I also love cricket, so maybe a cricketer, which is my current passion,” he says.
Ashwath takes both education and co-curricular activities seriously. “I like to be part of theatre. I play basketball and have been practising golf at the Nandanam Golf Club, and also learning the violin from Subha Jawahar. I’ve been learning Kalari for the past two years from Shaji K John,” he says.
That’s not all. Ashwath has tried his hand at writing poetry. He recited his first poem ever on the radio recently (as part of a Chennai Live workshop), wishing team India good luck in the World Cup Finals.