JOIN USHe could not believe his luck when director Pandiraj offered him the lead role in his film Marina, a low-key project with a shoestring budget. Actor Sivakarthikeyan, who already had a fan base thanks to his small screen ventures, took up the offer though he had not set his sights on the big screen.
Marina clicked in a big way at the box-office and served as a perfect launching pad for the newcomer. Since then, Sivakarthikeyan has been going from strength to strength with a string of hit films, and is now rated as a bankable star in Kollywood. The actor’s flair for comedy and his dancing skills have ensured an instant rapport with the audience.
Big dreams
It was superstar Rajinikanth’s daughter, Aishwarya Dhanush who spotted Sivakarthikeyan’s talent and cast him in the film 3, which however turned into a damp squib. The role had little to offer the newcomer, but in his next couple of films Sivakarthikeyan really found his métier. His films Manam Kothi Paravai and Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga created a positive impact at the box-office. In Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga, directed by his mentor Pandiraj, he shared screen space with another up-and-coming hero Vimal, and the duo brought the roof down with their antics as small-time crooks. The year 2013 turned out to be a memorable year for Sivakarthikeyan as three of his releases cantered away to 100-day runs. Sivakarthikeyan also had the Dhanush production Ethir Neechal, where he was again the underdog, an athlete fighting the odds ranged against him to emerge victorious.
A turning point
The film that enabled Sivakarthikeyan to consolidate his position in the industry was Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam. Set against a rural backdrop, the film found the young actor matching strides with veteran Sathyaraj for the first time, and the fireworks when the two came face to face was the highlight of the film.
There was a sense of disbelief in industry circles when an A-lister heroine Hansika Motwani signed up for a film with Sivakarthikeyan, and the actor had to remind skeptics that he had as many as five hits behind him and that this eminently qualified him to share the screen with a top heroine. The film was Maan Karate, where the hero was a boxer, again an underdog climbing up the rungs of the ladder on his own steam. Durai Senthilkumar, who had directed Sivakarthikeyan in Ethir Neechal, offered him another opening in Kaaki Sattai, and the role was that of a police constable. The role held a touch of nostalgia for Sivakarthikeyan, whose late father had been a police officer, and donning the costume even though just for a film brought back fond memories.
Sivakarthikeyan is presently working in a film titled Remo, being directed by debutant Bhagyaraja Kannan. The highlight of Remo is the actor donning a woman’s garb, and Sivakarthikeyan has confided that it took over four hours for him to get the make-up right.
The actor proved that he was multi-talented when he found the opportunity to croon a few songs for his films. Although he rendered just one number each in films like Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam, Maan Karate, Kaaki Sattai and Rajini Murugan, the actor’s ability to sing fast-paced songs won him a lot of acclaim. Although he is now in a position to call the shots, Sivakarth-ikeyan maintains that he is still a newcomer who has to find his feet in the industry. He signs only one film at a time, and gives it his all.