After 'Boys' why did Siddharth vanish from Kollywood? Isn't Siddharth a Chennaiite?
Firstly, there's answer to your question in your question itself. I hadn't vanished after 'Boys' but only after 'Ayudha Ezhuthu' and my second film wasn't all that talked about, maybe because of that I wasn't offered a third project. And as you said, since I am a true Chennaiite I wandered about in our city looking for jobs, they called me from Tollywood and I was only more than willing to accept it! Then, I did a project with Prabhu Deva, 'Nuvvostanante Nennodantana' for which I managed to bag a Filmfare Award for Best Actor. They say that producers and directors line up outside an actor's house, well even though that didn't happen quite literally for me, I was given a lot of opportunities (smiles). After which, I had done a role in 'Rang De Basanti' in Hindi, which was a huge hit again. Because of these, I was offered good roles in Telugu and in Hindi. Meanwhile, although I expected good roles in Kollywood I wasn't offered one, that's how these seven years passed off. So many came up to me and question of why, me being a Chennaiite, I do not do tamil flicks. So many are drawing to the conclusion that I work only with big directors, that I do not work with new directors, and that is why I am not doing a tamil movie. But what these people do not know is that, so far in my career, I have worked with eight new directors and if I include Jayendran sir, of 180, since it is his first movie as a director, it will be my ninth project with a new director. If I do another movie with a new director I'd probably set a new world record of having worked with ten new directors out of my fifteen projects.
We all know that Siddharth started off his career as an Assistant Director, is that why you are so picky about your roles in Tollywood?
Well, honestly I can't say I am picky or too choosy. Yes of course, I choose well, be it even with my food, I eat only what I like, just because I am hungry I can't just eat whatever comes my way, can I? If you see from last year, March, practically everyday, I have been out for a shoot either for Tamil, Telugu, Hindi or English. So when you ask me if I am choosy, I can tell after working hard for two years I may accept one project at a time for a six month period so that you can concentrate better. Speaking about '180' every single shot was shot twice, so it was like shooting for two movies at a stretch, so it was a whole new experience. But I thoroughly enjoyed as I hadn't done a bilingual so far, and at the same time I hadn't dubbed for my movie in a different language or done a remake. That is why I didn't agree to do the Tamil remake of 'Bommarilu' as 'Santhosh Subramanium' or 'Nuvvostanante Nenodantana' as 'Something Something Unakum Enakum' as I get bored doing the same project twice, whereas doing it in the same day in Tamil and Telugu was quite fun. This movie had a good scope, in the sense, if you watch '180' in a theatre in Tamilnadu with Tamil audience beside you; you would say it is a good Kollywood project. And if you watch this in Andhra with Telugu audience beside you, you would say it's a perfect Telugu movie. That is the kind of detailing and the preparation that team '180' had, which is why we did it simultaneously in two languages.
Speaking about your projects in Tollywood, you had earlier commented that you have given more chances to new face directors. It is definitely quite an achievement that out of your fifteen movies, ten have been with new directors. But, why is it that you don't seem to have worked with the same director again?
After a hit movie with me, the director becomes a bigger director in the industry and they move on to bigger projects. Only new directors seem to be approaching me, so it would only be right if you question them of why they haven't repeated with a hero who has worked in a project with them which was a hit. Speaking in the current scenario, we've come to situation with a scarcity for directors. Speaking about '180' I must say something about Jayendran sir, it's his first movie as a director, so I approached him after the movie and told him to sign me up for his next project as well and not go behind big heroes after a hit, since I have known him for the past nine years I was able to emotionally blackmail him so I came to the conclusion that I should do more movies with budding directors who know me from my childhood (smiles).
You have told us that you know Jayendran sir from nine years.Working with Maniratnam as an assistant director is a dream for many aspiring directors. Going down in your memory lane can you share your experience with Jayendran and Maniratnam?
As I always say, for me, both in my life and career Jayendran sir has always directed me to the right path where Maniratnam sir has opened his doors for me. I say this because, Jayendran sir knows me from my childhood and has always encouraged me. He has taught me a lot. After I finished my studies, it was Jayendran sir and PC Sriram sir who convinced my family to let me do what I wanted (smiles). It was that time when Maniratnam sir gave me an opportunity to work with him. While working under him, every single day you understand that there are so many more lessons to learn in life. Even after I started off as an actor after working with him, I think of him at least twice a day. He always tells that, when we good a deed, in this case a shot, we should always struggle and somehow achieve it, there is no point thinking there will be somebody else to take care of it. It doesn't work that way. Every second, every person of the crew and cast putting in the effort is ' Cinema. This is a very big lesson I had learned from him, yes, it is a dream for many to work under Mani sir, but the thing is that, if you work with him once, you always work with him, its that kind of a guru-shishya experience. I am sure I will never forget those two years in my life, because, whatever I may achieve in my future I will definitely credit Mani sir for it. And at the same time, it was Jeyandran sir who had introduced me to him, so I do not know what I would have ever done, without either of them!
How would you compare Assistant Directors in Tollywood to those that were a decade back?
There's one big problem in India, there is immense pressure in our country on new directors, they say, if you need to be a good director you need to know to write. This is not the case elsewhere; if you take Hollywood a script writer and script director are different from each other and may not even meet sometimes! If you let an assistant director learn the job of just the director, it would be great. There's no need to strain and pen down all your pains via a script, it may be good in a way but then what happens is that they fail to understand more direction. So if you ask me, people seem to be a little better in Hindi. I really have faith and respect towards Assistant Directors and approach them openly, maybe, if a hero would have approached me when I was an Assistant Director I would have become a Director!
In future, when you become a Director, will you direct a movie based on an already written novel or script?
I am truly inspired by real life incidents and characters, if someone will write a story based on that and give it to me I will only be more than happy to direct that (smiles). But, if I write the story, I may ask another director to direct the movie, we never know! Direction is not on my cards currently.
How are you managing perfect chemistry with every actress in your Tollywood projects?
When there is good understand between your co-stars, male or female, and if you work with the same understanding, the chemistry will speak for itself.
Is it healthy to escape a gossip without commenting on it?
Well, I need my own private space. I do a movie, if you watch it and either appreciate or put down the movie that's up to you, but apart from that nobody has the right to interfere one's private space.
Don't you think you should keep your fans well-informed about you?
It is for my fans that I work 22 hours a day! It is for my fans that I pay proper tax and good deeds, but apart from that nobody can question me on my personal life, it's not mannerisms.
There is no effective a star down South, than Siddharth, when it comes to micro-blogging. What would you say about that and your feedback on Twitter?
I love to tweet as you can just update whatever is happening, and you can just forget about it. And at the same time, nobody can mistake it, it is what you have written. Say if I have given an interview in a magazine, it's the writer's creativity than what I wanted to convey! Whereas in a video, nothing goes misinterpreted, it is what I say! Twitter is as simple as that.
Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. When you travel to these three places for shoots, where do you feel peaceful?
There's nothing called peace or settling in for an actor, then I would become a businessman. But if you ask me to choose from these three places, I would say Hyderabad as that's where I have my own house and living from the past 6 years. At the same time, I was brought up in Chennai so it is equally home as well.
Jayendran Sir has worked for more than 500 ad films so far. Considering that, have you seen a difference in the direction, as an ad film direction?
No, usually ad film directors come up with lovely works but have no impact whatsoever in them. But, Jayendran had such an impact and care for his plot, seeing which I agreed to do the role and it was wonderful working for it.
What rules did you break in '180'?
I believe this is a stepping stone in my career as an actor. I hope I have acted well and lived up to his expectations, for he is like my father and I will come to know about my performance based on the audience feedback. I am looking forward to better and more projects in Tamil after this movie and I hope it creates a good impact among the audience.
Who do you think have performed to their best in this movie? Priya Anand or Nithya Menon?
Well, in my childhood, I understood the ways of how not to get beaten up by a girl. I understood that by answering questions as these (laughs). Both of them are brilliant and have done very good roles, and I really hope both of them have bright careers after this movie!
Source : http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/65843.html
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