For a reluctant actor, Udhayanidhi Stalin has done well for himself. After his debut with M. Rajesh’s comedy caper Oru Kal Oru Kannadi , he went on to do two more films where laughter ruled — Idhu Kathirvelan Kaadhal and Nanbenda , where he teamed up with Santhanam. He stepped out of familiar territory with the action thriller Gethu , sporting a new look. That experimentation continues with his production Manithan , releasing today.
The film, an adaptation of the Hindi sleeper hit Jolly LLB , is directed by Ahmed of Vamanan and Endrendrum Punnagai fame. Udhayanidhi is pitted against powerhouse performer Prakash Raj in this courtroom drama. The actor says he had been planning to work with Ahmed since Endrendrum … and they were looking at scripts, when the director pitched this idea. “I was immediately hooked; there was a lovely emotional connect in this film, and I wanted to be a part of it.” Once that was done, Udhayanidhi realised the magnitude of his decision. He had to be part of lengthy courtroom scenes that called for excellent dialogue delivery and high-pitched emotions.
“I’m quite jolly in real life, but that’s something that only close friends and family know. My earlier films just required me to tap that side of my persona, but this one called for something deeper, and lots of introspection... it was a great journey,” says Udhayanidhi.
Ahmed set about reworking the script, retaining the core of the Hindi original (which was marketed as a comedy with some serious shades), to add elements of emotion and love (in the form of Hansika). “It was a huge challenge to work with Prakash Raj sir. He’s so talented; he can overshadow you with little effort. But, I know my limitations. I’ve tried to match up. I worked very hard on the court scenes,” he says.
Udhayanidhi is the grandson of M. Karunanidhi, so known for his pathbreaking court scenes — remember Parasakthi , Needhikku Dhandanai and Paasa Paravaigal ? Was the actor nervous wondering how he would react to his performance? “He’s busy campaigning, so I don’t know when he’ll get to watch it, but I hope he likes it.”
Next up, Udhayanidhi resumes shooting for Suseendran’s film with actor Vishnu, and by the end of the year, he will, for the first time, work with another production house (Sri Thenandal Films) as hero. He’s someone who started off being a producer, and is now getting used to the idea of others approaching him with acting assignments. “I think I’m improving as an actor, but with every film, like everyone else, I always feel I could have done better. My wife, filmmaker Kiruthiga, is my biggest critic; I look forward to her feedback,” he says.
So, is Manithan the first of more ‘serious’ ventures? “No,” laughs Udhayanidhi. “I like making fun films, films that I love watching. I grew up watching comedies and action-thrillers. So, no ‘festival’ films for me,” he says, almost apologetically.
