Hey Ram

On working with director Mani Ratnam:
He is one of the best directors in Hindi and Tamil films today. We have known each other for the last eight years and wanted to work together but never got an opportunity until now. Working with him,I realised that Mani has everything well planned.

Is it true that since your role dominated Abhishek Bachchan’s,there are plans to shoot the film again for 30 days?
These are baseless rumours. There is no reason to shoot again as Mani is happy with what he has got. Raavan is a huge film that has been shot in diverse locations. Six months were spent on planning the film before going on the floors. Moreover,shooting in a forest requires the permission of the Forest Department,which takes time to procure. Getting an ensemble cast was not easy either. The film has mostly big names and busy actors from Hindi and Tamil films like Bachchan,Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,Govinda,Prithviraj,Manisha Koirala and Nikhil Dwivedi. It is not easy to re-work their schedules to shoot again.

Is it true that Amitabh Bachchan was all praise for you when he met you?
Yes. We met on a very informal note. He said he had seen some of my films. As for Abhishek,he too watches a lot of south Indian films. I was thrilled to hear that he liked some of them.

Did Big B give you any tips on acting?
No,but he’s such a genius. A lot of us have emulated him in one film or the other.

Your Tamil film Anniyan was dubbed in Hindi and released as Aparichit in 2005. What kind of response did you get from Bollywood?
The film was a hit in Tamil. The response in Bollywood was also good,but I think it was a subject that did not really touch many hearts there. Like every actor,I too wanted to do Hindi films but at that time I was not ready to take on something different and pack my bags and leave. I was more comfortable doing films in my mother tongue. It was Mani Ratnam who convinced me to do a Hindi film and now I guess I am ready to take on any challenge.

Does that mean you have more assignments in Hindi?
I am hoping Bollywood will welcome me after Raavan. Meanwhile,I have my hands full with films in the South. I have signed a film with Mani Ratnam’s associate Vikram Kumar whose 13-B released sometime ago. The shoot starts in September this year.

You bagged the National Award for the path-breaking Tamil film Pithamagan in which you play a gravedigger who doesn’t utter a word.
I play diverse characters in all my forthcoming films. There is a fantasy film and a period venture. I play a psychopath in one,a terrorist and a superhero in two others. I assure you one of these films will bag me the National Award one more time.