'Surya never restricts himself'

Acting is in his blood. A yesteryear star for a father and a reigning superstar for an elder brother may be enough to catapult anyone to stardom. But Karthik Shivakumar’s – better known as Karthi – elaborate preparations for his just released film Siruthai makes it clear that the Tamil actor does not want to remain a chinna thambi forever.

Essaying the double role of a cop and pickpocket in Siruthai, a remake of the
Telugu movie Vikramarkudu, Karthi says he spent a few days with pickpockets to pick up the nuances of the trade. “I mixed with pickpockets to understand their life and their mode of operation. I also spent a few hours speaking with cops. I thoroughly enjoyed both the roles. They each had their charm,” Karthi tells Metrolife.

Karthi is the son of Tamil actor Shivakumar and younger brother of Tamil actor Surya who is most popular for his cop roles. “Surya never restricts himself. He pushes his own boundaries and never tires of exploring the actor in him. I am choosy when it comes to my characters. I have to like a script to act in it,” reasons Karthi who has become popular for his quick sense of humour.

Karthi proved that he was more than just a super action hero in Aayirathil Oruvan.
He  successfully vied with computer graphics for the acting honours. And who better to vanquish graphics in acting skills than a web designer-turned actor.

Karthi junked a cushy web designer's job in the US for acting. “Cinema is my passion and I knew I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else.”

He didn’t jump into acting straight away. He took lessons in direction and worked as an assistant to Mani Ratnam and later learnt how to write scripts before plunging into acting. “I didn’t want to restrict myself to acting alone, so I had to get behind the camera and try my hand at direction and I know scripting is everything so I got a feel of that as well,” he observes.

He won the best actor award for his role of a rustic villager in Paruthiveeran. “I didn’t know anything about a Paruthiveeran (an outlaw) but the director gave me a feel of a Paruthiveeran before I ventured into the role. In Aayirathil Oruvan, I went over to a port at night and spent a few hours observing the life of the people on the harbour,” he
explains.  

But Karthi just can’t stop raving about Siruthai, a movie which clicked really well with the people. Karthi plays Rocket Raja, the pickpocket and Rathnavel Pandian, a fearless cop.

He says he had a ball playing both the characters, “I actually wore a shirt with a huge peacock printed on it. I was loud and exaggerated in my dressing and mannerisms too. I realised that pickpockets don’t have an iota of guilt in them. They pick pocket more for the thrill,” he explains. Karthi confesses that he always feels a sense of pride when he wears a cop’s uniform. “There are among the cops, those who work for the people without expecting anything in return,” he adds.

Karthi believes that the screenplay defines the success of any cinema. “The content of any movie must be strong. I don’t believe in quantity of films but trust in quality. I want to do a bilingual someday,” he wraps up.