Even as Mirchi Senthil. as he is popularly known as, gears up for his first film as hero, Sengathu Bhoomiyile, which is tentatively slated for a September-end release, he is pretty much active on the small screen as well, with his brand new series Saravanan Meenatchi. The serial has gone on air since Monday, on Vijay TV, and he says that the character of Saravanan, is very much similar to what he is in real life. “Sixty per cent of what Saravanan is in the series is me,” he says. “A Chennai-based guy from an affluent family who loves life and lives every moment of it, I began my career as a radio jockey which I still am. My show which is currently on air, Neenga Naan Raja Sir (Monday to Saturday, 9 pm-11pm) is what I host in the series as well. This show, which focusses on Ilayaraja sir and his music, especially of the 80s, for which The New Indian Express has been the official press partner for providing archives and information, has been on air since March in Chennai and since May in Coimbatore and Madurai. Saravanan is a mirro image of my real life’s nature,” he says. There is an interesting connection to the lead characters in the series as well. “My first serial Madurai had the characters of Saravanan and Meenatchi who were in love with each other. The title of the present series has been derived from that. Madurai was a turning point in my life. It was after watching my performance in that film that I was offered the lead role as hero for Sengathu Bhoomiyile. I had done two films before this, Thavamaai Thavamirundhu, where I played Cheran’s elder brother and after that Evano Oruvan, with Madhavan,” says Senthil. The actor and radio-jockey surely juggles work pertaining to the silver screen and the small screen and also holds on strongly to his radio medium. “Which is the reason why I want to do one proper film a year and also manage the serials and shows I do. In fact, I have also been hosting Tamil Cinema Intha Vaaram. This show is based on film reviews.”