'I want to make people cry'

Actor Manorajan Ravichandran's lineage could make anyone envious. Coming from a family of producers and actors, Manorajan says he literally grew up on shooting locations. Acting and cinema were ingrained in him from a very young age. He was last seen in 'Saheba' and has now appeared in an interesting role in the just-released 'Brihaspathi'. In an interview with Nina C George, Manorajan talks about his latest project and how his father has influenced him.

 How is it to return after 'Saheba'?

Many people were upset after I first worked on 'Saheba' because they were expecting Ravichandran's son to make his entry into the Kannada film industry, through a commercial film with lavish sets. But, I wanted to work on a story where the script is the hero. When 'Brihaspathi' was first offered to me by Rockline Venkatesh, I was apprehensive because the original version has Tamil actor Dhanush performing exceedingly well. I wasn't sure if I would be able to do justice to the role. But the director and producer gave me the confidence to pull it off.

 What was the challenging part of shooting for 'Brihaspathi'?

The most challenging part of the working on this project was that I had to shoot continuously for 30 days, so that I don't stray away from the character. It was a completely different experience. We have tweaked the film to suit the local tastes and I am sure the audience will not find any similarity to the original version.

 How do you handle the comparisons between you and your father?

It is natural for any star kid to be compared to their parents. My father is known for his lavish movies and romantic avatar. I have a different way of looking at cinema itself. Though 'Saheba' was not a commercial film, I was appreciated for my performance. I would first like to find my way into people's hearts, and later think about working on big budget movies.

 How has your father influenced you?

My father put me into an acting school because he wanted me to sharpen my skills. I also learnt gymnastics and martial arts. He wanted me to be ready for the world of acting before I got into it. He has prepared me for this industry.

 Any lessons learnt from him?

I learnt dedicated and discipline from my father.

 When will we see you and your father share screen space?

I am waiting for that too. It will happen soon.

 What kind of scripts interest you?

I am an emotional person and I would like to work on scripts that touch people's lives. I want to make people cry. But I am not lucky to always come by such scripts.

 Are you open to criticism?

One of the first things that my mother told me when I began acting was to be open to criticism. I am opening to learning an constructive criticism is always welcome.

 What's in the pipeline?

I have not signed any other projects because I prefer to work on one film at a time. I want to work on good projects and improve my performance.