Come Friday, Tamil cinema will have its newest acting aspirant making his rather rugged debut with choreographer Brindha’s sophomore directorial, Thugs. Hridhu Haroon, son of noted producer Shibu Thameens, is a bundle of excitement with just a couple of days left for the release of his debut. ‘’To make my debut with such an outstanding team, especially with a role that tests the performer in me, is such a rush.”
Describing himself as an accidental actor, who came into his own during the pandemic, Hridhu says, “There was a pause in my academics due to the pandemic. Since I had a passion for acting, I gave a few auditions a shot, and when I made the cut, it felt like a shot in the arm for my aspirations. It is only then that my father trusted me with a chance.” Of course, Hridhu is aware of the nepotism debate that is raging in various film industries, and how he too had a considerably easy first step. “While I agree that the access is there, survival, on the other hand, is only hitched to your talent. Any shortcomings on the talent front, then even with the smoothest of sails, the ship won’t make it to the shore.”
While Thugs marks Hridhu’s debut Tamil appearance, he has previously worked in Prime Video’s Crash Course (2022) and is set to make his Hindi cinema debut with Mumbaikar. Interestingly, all of his ventures so far have been multistarrers, which Hridhu feels helped him become a better actor. “Thugs was a great experience. Brinda Master encouraged me to push harder, especially while capturing the fight scenes. I learned a lot from Bobby Simha anna, who was brilliant at improvisations. They are small additions that might not seem like much, but when you look at the output, it is incredible,” shares Hridhu.
Thugs is an adaptation of the hit Malayalam film, Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil, and Hridhu assures that comparisons are par for the course, but he is confident about the film. “Thugs is strengthened by the technical team and the cast, and after seeing the trailer, I am even more confident about the film’s appeal.” As someone who looks up to the likes of Kamal Haasan and Fahadh Faasil, Hridhu too has his priorities right. “Whatever the medium, I want to excel. I want to do roles that satiate my thirst for acting,” signs off the actor.