The tall and muscular Raj Bharath started off his career in fims with Mysskin’s Onaiyum Aatukuttiyum. He played the dreaded villain Thumba. Now, with movies like Natpadhigaram 79 and Andhra Mess, he’s turned hero. Playing the lead also means that he has to dance, sing and romance the heroine. Not that Raj Bharath is complaining, but learning to emote and romance his heroine on Chennai roads for Natpadhigaram 79 was a tough task for the newcomer.
“Natpadhigaram 79 is based in Chennai. We shot near the major landmark of Gandhi Statue for a few scenes. Though the shot was canned around 1 am, surprisingly, there was quite a crowd that gathered to watch us,” recalls Raj. He says he managed to keep the distraction at bay and continued with the shoot with Tollywood actor Tejasvini.
“I tuned out the crowd mentally and gave my shot. Even the crowd was co-operative. No one distracted us by commenting or making noise. I’m happy that my first romantic shot on the roads went off well,” he says with a grin.
Amzath and Reshmi Menon are his co-stars in the film directed by Ravichandran of Majnoon fame.
The unit has been shooting in Puducherry, Mysore and Bangalore as well. About his role, Raj says, “In Natpadhigaram 79, my role is subtle as against the dramatic one of Thumba in Onaiyum Aatukuttiyum. I had to dance for a club song and will also have to can a melodious number soon.”
The supporting cast includes M S Bhasker and Subbu Panchu, with whom he shared a special rapport. “We did several rehearsals together. I got tips about dialogue delivery, gestures and expressions from the two actors,” he recalls.
The rest of the cast includes Rail Ravi and Uma Padmanabham. TV personality VigneshKarthik debuts on the big screen, playing his friend.
In Andhra Mess, which is currently under production, Raj plays a conman. “The role has several layers and I’m happy that I’m getting a variety of roles in the beginning of my career itself,” he signs off.