It was the year 2017. A new talent was found through director Ram’s Taramani, which starred debutant Vasanth Ravi in an emotionally intense role. A short break of three years, caused by the pandemic, put his career on hold. Undeterred, Vasanth Ravi came back stronger than before with another intense film, this time pairing with fellow freshman Arun Matheswaran. After yet another break of two more years, Vasanth has now returned with Asvins. This time, even if the genre is different, the intensity will be the same, he says.
Incidentally, horror is his least favourite genre. “When Tarun (director Tarun Teja) narrated the story of
Asvins, I only had to ask myself whether such a horror film had ever come out in Tamil. Imagine the quality of this story when someone like me, who’s not a fan of horror, feels compelled to do it,” he says.
The film falls in the sub-genre of psychological horror and is about a group of YouTubers venturing into black tourism and unleashing onto themselves a 1000-year-old curse. Vasanth, who leads the team and the film, shares that he had no references on which to base his character. “Tarun was keen that fear not be portrayed through the usual expressions. He wanted eccentric expressions that didn’t necessarily come from instinct. If I had to redo a scene from Asvins, I would get psychologically exhausted,” he says, explaining that this fatigue was of the body, not the mind, with his previous films.
Thanks to his intense performances in his previous films, Vasanth’s countenance seems just apt for spectral and monstrous recitals. Nonetheless, he had his doubts while filming for this horror film. “I kept asking Tarun if I was overselling my expressions. He would reassure me by saying, “Only if you give such an eccentric performance will the audience be able to experience being at the edge of their seat.” In terms of acting, this has been my toughest film so far.”
Asvins is a film that draws horror from the idea of a fable. Vasanth feels that connecting mythology to horror appeals to our audiences. “We like mythological stories and grow up on fables. The horror factor becomes all the more gripping when you draw from the legends of our land.”
The cast and crew of Asvins is predominantly made of artists who are finding their feet in the industry. For Vasanth, this was a beautiful part of working on this film. “The makers felt that a relatively new cast would work for the script. Although debutants, you will never feel that the actors of this film are new to the trade.” Vasanth is particularly excited about the sound design and score of this film by first-time composer Vijay Siddharth. “Tarun has a PhD in sound design, and he, along with Vijay, designed the sound in such a way that increases the fear factor and will hopefully result in a terrifying experience.” And that’s also why he thinks people should watch it at the theatres.
Another film of his, Jailer, won’t have any trouble bringing people to the theatres, considering it stars Rajinikanth. Vasanth, incidentally, has been fortunate to team up with veterans in four out of his five films so far. And yet, the Rajini factor is always special. “I have never seen another artist like Rajini sir in Indian cinema. Even after reaching such heights, the efforts he takes to nail a character are inspiring.”
For Vasanth, who started his career ten years ago, patience has been a virtue. “Delays are common in the industry and not in our control. I don’t let them affect me because I had no pre-set goals when I came into the industry. I should only be worried when I don’t do films that give me satisfaction.”
Vasanth, who has come to be recognised for his intense roles, hopes to break this pattern with his upcoming romcom directed by V Priya. He has also completed another film for Tagore Madhu, in which he will be seen alongside Aishwarya Rajesh. Does he have a dream role? “I would love to play Raghuvaran sir if his biography is made. His journey is inspirational and has a lot of drama.” You can already see how he will be a good fit for the role, can’t you?