The enterprise of cinema runs on evaluation, calculations, and making peace with Murphy’s Legislation. This has turn out to be much more essential on this post-pandemic, post-OTT period. And when an element as influential as stardom enters the image, the stakes are sky-high, and even the on-screen and off-screen fame of a star issues. So whenever you see Sivakarthikeyan break notions that different stars take into account sacrosanct for enterprise — like accepting the failure of a movie (Siva’s final movie Prince failed in Tamil Nadu) — you possibly can’t assist however admire the star’s self-confidence.
With Maaveeran, his movie with Mandeladirector Madonne Ashwin, releasing on July 14, Sivakarthikeyan solutions questions at a press convention with a smile and real heat.
Excerpts:
What did you want about ‘Mandela’ a lot that you just wished to work with Madonne Ashwin?
Mandela advised the story of straightforward folks and their points, and Madonne additionally weaved a political satire out of that story. It had each leisure in addition to social accountability. It was additionally the form of movie even my daughter might watch and revel in; although she’s too younger to know politics, the movie was entertaining to her.
Within the trailer of ‘Maaveeran’, we see you play a comic book guide artist however we additionally get a touch of some supernatural ingredient in play. Is that this a superhero movie?
No, it’s not a superhero movie. I play a comic book artist named Sathya, and the identify of a comic book he attracts known as ‘Maaveeran’. By way of this story, we inform why he’s later referred to as Maaveeran. We are able to’t reveal a lot in regards to the fantasy ingredient however sure there’s some relationship between what he attracts and what occurs to him. We needed to be very acutely aware in regards to the trailer minimize as a result of we will’t reveal an excessive amount of however on the similar time convey that there’s an fascinating idea.
It additionally appears as if the movie is making a social commentary. Is that proper?
No, we’re not preaching any message via this movie; like Mandela, this shall be one other socially accountable movie. Mandela was extra in regards to the particular person’s accountability in society whereas Maaveeran is in regards to the system’s accountability.
You may have at all times spoken about eager to push your boundaries and you’ve got spoken about how the climax of ‘Don’ demanded rather a lot from you. What was difficult in ‘Maaveeran’?
Motion sequences. There are 4 stunt sequences on this movie and the technicians have designed them in their very own distinctive trend; as a result of there’s additionally the ingredient of fantasy, I needed to get used to it. Earlier, I was tensed whereas doing motion sequences, however now, particularly after Maaveeran, I’ve taken a liking for it and I need to put extra effort.
Many younger actors are actually taking a look at you as a job mannequin. Is {that a} strain when selecting scripts or do you have a look at it as a validation for the profession you’ve had?
Cinema itself is an opinion-based subject — it’s about likes and dislikes — and so when folks say issues like that, I take it as accountability and it does encourage me. Younger actors noticing and liking my work is like getting a promotion to the subsequent stage.
With script choice, I have a look at movies as a course of. We don’t wait to see how the earlier movie did earlier than signing the subsequent venture; we select our line-ups primarily based on the tales and their settings.
Sivalkarthikeyan and Saritha in a nonetheless from ‘Maaveeran’
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Particular Association
Who’s the ‘Maaveeran’ in your life?
My father. He labored as a Jail Superintendent at Tiruchi Jail and he was a really honest skilled. He was strict and he held his jail with an iron fist. It’s shocking that even in the present day, 20 years after his loss of life, many proceed to talk about him in interviews. He was a workaholic; all of us got here second to his work, and he died throughout his shift from a coronary heart assault.
What are your upcoming tasks?
We’re planning to launch Ayalaanfor Deepavali. I’m presently capturing for my movie with Rajkumar Periasamy, produced by RKFI. We simply completed capturing some 30-35 days for the movie in Kashmir.
There have been some rumours about your Bollywood debut…
At an occasion, Adivi Sesh had requested me if my movie with Rajkumar will launch in Hindi and I mentioned that RKFI and Sony Photos are planning to try this. So folks misunderstood what he later mentioned about that.
And we hear you’ve additionally heard a script from Adivi Sesh. Is that true?
Sure, he’s a extremely good storyteller. I advised him to let me know if he has something fascinating and he mentioned he’ll get again to me in a few months.
On the trailer launch, you spoke frankly about ‘Prince’ failing in Tamil Nadu. Isn’t that dangerous contemplating the way it would possibly have an effect on different features of the enterprise?
It’ll have an effect on the enterprise of a movie provided that I say that in the course of the theatrical run. And if I don’t settle for my failures, you received’t settle for my victories.