He has proved his acting prowess and ability to get into boy-next-door roles. But now with Yaan, Jiiva is excited to have showcased the untapped star qualities. The debut direction of ace Bollywood cameraperson Ravi K Chandran, Yaan, which released last week, has Thulasi playing the female lead. Jiiva says, “Audiences have always identified with me and related to my characters as one among them. In Yaan, however, I have played a complete hero, danced, romanced and done mega action sequences. It’s something that every actor yearns to do and is the complete formula entertainer. I’m very excited about the audience response to my various avatars.”
The film took Jiiva to various exotic locales like Morocco and the mountain wilderness of Switzerland. The hi-octane fights and the feel good songs, had him working on his action and dancing skills side by side. “In Morocco, I worked with Hollywood stunt masters who have done stunts in films like Bourne Identity and Body Of Lies. Usually, they take several weeks to rehearse for stunts, and were appalled that we took a few days only. But our Kollywood films prepare us well for action sequences and they were amazed when I grasped the tough sequences so fast,” adds Jiiva.
Jiiva plays an MBA grad with loverboy appeal. He turns into a fugitive when he finds himself in a tough situation. A new hairstyle, snazzy wardrobe, exotic locations and a colourful palette add to the feel-good factor. He elaborates, “While the first half is colourful and romantic, the second half is completely raw and action filled. Yaan is the kind of movie every hero would aspire to star in at some point of time in his career.” Jayaprakash, Nasser and Karunakaran are part of the cast.
Since Ravi K Chandran has worked with the crème de la crème of Bollywood, the film has already caught the attention of several B Town celebs. From Ranbir Kapoor to Farah Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan, several celebs have seen clippings of the songs or bits of the action and showered praise. “I’m really so excited about it all,” says Jiiva.