Karthi may be just five films old, but he already has a reputat ion for choosing unusual projects. 'Saguni', the comedy drama by debutant director N Shankar Dayal, is another such film, but with big names like Raadhika Sarathkumar, Prakash Raj, Roja and Nasser.
Following a stint as assistant director to Mani Ratnam in 2006, Karthi got his break with 'Paruthiveeran' in 2007, where he played a tough villager. 'Saguni' will also see the actor playing a rustic character, but with a twist.
Cheerful and optimistic, the actor tells us more about the movie which is scheduled to launch this month. Pulling strings Karthi begins by saying that he plays a man who is just as manipulative as his mythological namesake.
‘‘I am intelligent, a problem solver, and someone who can move easily around people. It is not a negative role. I do things for the betterment of people and society,’’ says the 35-year-old actor. Incidentally, Karthi and the comedian Santhanam were a laugh riot in the movie 'Siruthai' and the actor assures the same in 'Saguni'. ‘‘In the movie, I call Santhanam, ‘Rajini’ and he calls me, ‘Kamal’. I would say Santhanam in 'Saguni' is much better than Santhanam in OKOK,’’ says Karthi, referring to director M Rajesh's movie, which also starred Udhayanidhi Stalin. He will also be seen with the comedian in M Rajesh’s 'All in All Azhagu Raja'.
In the present While Karthi is choosy about movies, he admits he has a long way to go in the world of cinema. ‘‘I want to live the present and am in no hurry to go anywhere. I will go to any extent for my character. Directors feel I never say no. I don’t mind getting beaten up or jumping from buildings,’’ exclaims Karthi. ‘‘I don’t know what ‘mass hero’ means. I am fine with doing remakes, mythological roles, action hero or anything, but my role should be interesting,’’ he adds.
Life after marriage
Married for close to a year now to Ranjini Chinnaswamy, Karthi claims to be quite unromantic in real life. ‘‘She keeps complaining that I am a workaholic. I try taking two to three days off to spend time with her, but I am not a romantic person,’’ says Karthi, who prefers not to discuss his movie scripts with his wife. ‘‘Why should I discuss the romantic scenes with her? I know my limits and I will stay within that,’’ he adds.