Venkat Sundar can’t stop smiling. Two of his films — Naaigal Jaakirathai and Kappal – are currently running in the theatres and the audience reception to both has been encouraging. The actor, who has a flair for comedy, still can’t believe how far he has reached from his home in the rural Kalveerampalayam area of Coimbatore.
Venkat, 30, was a reluctant actor. He never believed he could ever play lead roles. Till his friend Ganesh Kumar Mohan, who later directed the moving Kuttimaa , convinced him to play the lead in a clutch of short films — 536, Ramasamy and Oorukku 4 Peru . That got him a chance to enter the world of feature films in 2011, with none other than Shankar’s Nanban , where he played one of the seniors.
“Till then, my parents were not keen on my working in this industry. Once Nanban released, they realised my heart was in films,” he says. For some years, he shuttled between his hometown and adopted town of Chennai. Now, after Kappal , he’s finally moved base here. He’s listening to some good scripts and hopes to sign up for a few films soon. “All credit for my success must go to short films. They introduced me to people and creators, and more importantly, helped me develop a fan base on social media. They are a huge support system now,” he says.
Even now, Venkat feels his journey in tinseltown has been incredible. “There are so many talented people around. I still wonder how I landed such great opportunities,” he says. Of all the feedback received, he cherishes director Shankar’s words the most. “There was little need for such a big director to encourage us this way. The entire team of Kappal (that Shankar produced) was egged on thanks to his appreciation,” he adds.
Venkat’s future plans include choosing films in which the script rules. “The size of the role will never matter to me. I’m just looking to do films that make an impact on the audience and help me grow as an actor,” he says.
