It is often said, ‘When you love something, let it go. If it is meant to be, it will come back to you.’ As a young kid, when Santhosh was cast in a Ponniyin Selvan play, he yearned to get the role of Aditha Karikalan. He was, however, chosen to play Chinna Pazhuvettaraiyar. But as fate would have it, he became the young Karikalan in Mani Ratnam’s adaptation of Kalki’s revered novel, Ponniyin Selvan. Dazed from all the love he has been receiving, Santhosh says, “I still can’t believe that I got the opportunity to be in a Mani Ratnam film.”
Incidentally, Ponniyin Selvan marked Santhosh’s debut in feature films. Although he dabbled in theatre, Santhosh’s heart always beat for the silverscreen. “I joined a few theatre troupes like Kriyashakthi and Players Club. Theatre acting ended up becoming my biggest strength.” While Santhosh shares that peer reviews helped him hone his talent, theatre also acted as the catalyst in getting this opportunity of a lifetime. “My friend recommended my performance to her sister, who was an associate director with Madras Talkies. I auditioned for Kaatru Veliyidai, however, that opportunity did not materialise as I was too old for the role. 2 years later, I got a call back from their office for an audition for Ponniyin Selvan.”
Taking us through the preparations he did for impressing the veteran director in the auditions, Santhosh says, “I reminded myself of all the heroes who have been a part of his films. I mellowed down my voice, and tried to ace my romantic gaze towards Sara Arjun’s Nandhini.” But what did Mani Ratnam tell him after he was selected for the role? “His first piece of advice to me was to grow my hair. Every time I sent a photo to update sir with my look, he would write a new scene for young Aditha Karikalan.”
The pressure of being part of such an anticipated film became multifold because Santhosh had to convince people that he was Vikram’s teenage version. Opening up about how he figured out ways to resemble the senior actor, he shares, “I used to stand in front of the mirror and practice. My nose is very different from that of Vikram. So, I used to practice holding an angry face, scrunching up my nose, so it would look like Vikram sir’s.”
All these efforts were mainly because Santhosh understood the assignment, the importance of his role, and what Ponniyin Selvan was to generations of Tamil audiences. “As soon as I got the role, I looked into the various attempts at adapting PS into a film. It was quite a big challenge,” says Santhosh, whose biggest challenge came in the form of keeping this opportunity a secret.
“Of course, I had to often suppress the urge to tell people I was playing junior Vikram. But, I held my patience because I believed the surprise element would work better.” Santhosh’s patience paid off as he never expected the kind of overwhelming responses and unbridled affection coming his way. “Ponniyin Selvan 2 started with my scenes and were followed by very impactful scenes featuring excellent performers. Yet, the audience did point out some of the more intricate details from my scenes,” says Santhosh with elation.
Santhosh preferred playing the waiting game before signing other projects. “I wanted PS to be my first film. Now that it is out, I have an idea of the kind of films I want to be a part of. I want to do films that add value to cinema and help me become a better actor. Money and fame are secondary to me,” he signs off.