Arulnithi and thrillers have become synonymous with each other over time. The actor, who headlined three thrillers last year, is back with one more thriller, Thiruvin Kural. “I was hellbent on not doing thrillers anymore or at least spacing them out when I sat down to hear Thiruvin Kural’s script. But after director Harish Prabhu’s narration, I wanted to take it up as it was an effective family drama with intense emotions rather than just another action thriller,” says the actor, who adds that the father-son bonding in the story is the USP and soul of the film. “I want to do films that families will be able to relate to. Thiruvin Kural showcases the struggles of a middle-class family awaiting the recovery of a loved patriarch admitted to a hospital. I am sure many people would have gone through such a predicament.”
Although Arulnithi has often portrayed serious characters, he is a happy-go-lucky person in real life, and it comes as a pleasant surprise during such interviews. “Guess I can only crack such jokes only outside my characters since I am always offered sombre roles. In Thiruvin Kural, I play a mute and partially deaf character. Even the shooting spot was a very grim place matching the mood of the film. Bharathiraja sir, who plays my father in the film, took it upon himself to lighten the atmosphere,” shares Arulnithi.
Thiruvin Kural marks Arulnithi’s maiden collaboration with Bharathiraja, and the Mounaguru actor fondly recalled the memories he shared with the veteran director. “Though Bharathiraja sir is the oldest and most experienced person on the sets, he channelised his inner child to make sure all of us had a smile on our faces. But this was contrary to the image most of us have of him on our minds. Once I asked him the whereabouts of the stern filmmaker, who was known to be a firebrand on the sets, and he just smiled, and said, ‘He is quite alive. All of you would be having a tough time if I had directed this film. I am an entirely different person when I am behind the camera.’”
This statement kindled the curiosity of Arulnithi and the actor requested the veteran to direct at least one shot in Thiruvin Kural. “It was a simple montage shot of Aathmika and me walking in a park and smiling at each other. Bharathiraja sir was seated behind the monitor and within a few seconds, he shouted, ‘Cut!’ and went on to give us an earful about the lack of liveliness and chemistry between us. “Ooru full-a single take artist nu solli vechi iruken, sir kitta thittu vaangi retake vaanga manasu varala. I realised my mistake of pushing him into the director’s chair and accepted that I would have a difficult time acting under him,” shares Arulnithi with a laugh.
In fact, Arulnithi confesses that Bharathiraja in Thiruvin Kural reminded him of his own father MK Tamilarasu. “Appa was really glad that I was doing such a film. He has always been a pillar of support. The Appa En Appa song reminded me of the memories I share with my appa. A lot of people keep telling me that I am blessed to have such a father. Acting in Thiruvin Kural has made me reflect a lot about fatherhood, and has given me the push to be an equally good father to my kids.”
Incidentally, Arulnithi previously played a mute character in director Radha Mohan’s Brindavanam. “We got sign language experts on board for both the films and the directors had already done their share of research. They did the heavy lifting, and I just followed their instructions. But through it all, I realised that they have very animated expressions. Be it happiness, rage or sorrow they express emotions in a heightened way. That is why I have the cheek-to-cheek smile in both the films,” says Arulnithi, pointing out an interesting contrast between the films. “Unlike Brindavanam where I am the only person speaking in sign language, a lot of people converse in it in Thiruvin Kural. However, I hardly use it in the film as I was asked to convey things only through my body language and expressions. We felt this approach would hold the audience’s attention better. So, in a way, my actions had to actually speak louder than words.”
Arulnithi, who is currently focussed on doing ‘films that appeal to every member of the family’ expresses his desire to gradually transition into social dramas, much like his cousin Udhayanidhi Stalin. “Right now I don’t think I have the seriousness or the maturity to shoulder such films. I am a work in progress, and when the right scripts come my way, and I feel ready to play characters that stand for social justice, I would definitely do them.”