'There is no dull moment in Alex Pandian'

Karthi Sivakumar has carved a niche for himself in Tamil cinema. Of late he's been acting in mainstream entertainers. Both brothers, Suriya and Karthi, enjoy a good following in Andhra Pradesh too.  

In this exclusive chat, Karthi speaks about his latest Tamil film, Alex Pandian (dubbed in Telugu as Bad Boy), directed by Suraj with Anushka Shetty as co-star.

While Alex Pandian is having a Pongal release, the Telugu Bad Boy is slated to release later.

Why did you sign Alex Pandian? Was it because of the script?

After Sirut, I did Saguni, which was a political thriller. After that Suraj came up with this action film which also had some comedy.

I felt it would be a good entertainer, a time-pass film and a fun one. Since it's a festival release, it will provide some good enjoyment too.

Alex Pandian is an intriguing title. Was Rajnikanth's character of the same name from the film Moondru Moogam, an inspiration?

I wanted the film to be called Bad Boy, which it is called in Telugu. But in Tamil, one has to use Tamil titles. One also remembers the role of Rajani Sir. It's a powerful, catchy name. I'm happy to have that as the title.

You seem to have done some daring stunts, especially on the train. How difficult was it to do them?

The opening scene itself is grand. I am fighting on a moving train (with Anushka also on the train). The train stops on a narrow bridge and the fight continues. And then a helicopter lands on the train.

It was very risky, especially with the wind whipped up by the helicopter. There were no safety measures. I was fighting and running. Everything was 300 feet away. So, one couldn't even jump to safety.

It was 10 days of hell.

You shot this fight near Mysore?

Yes. It was the climax fight. There was a lot of outdoor shooting in this film--in Kerala, Karnataka, Hyderabad besides Chennai.

Did you get any injuries or bruises from doing the stunts?

I've not done the Jackie Chan kind of stunts. I escaped without getting hurt. Even though it was risky, nothing happened.

What's your role in the film?

I'm a bad boy, who is selfish by nature. His aim is to make money. There is a tinge of negativity to the role. I did it for the nice comedy and action combination.

There are three girls in the film--Anushka, Sanusha and Nikitha Thukral. Are they in competition for winning Alex?

Anushka is the main lead. She is Santhanam's sister. He hates me, while all the three girls, who are his sisters, like me.

Santhanam and I play enemies here. The plot provides for interesting interaction. All the three girls are running after Alex.

How was it working with Anushka?

It was physically demanding for her as she was part of the train stunt along with me. She had to jump off the cliff.

I never saw her complain. She was happy to do it. She did anything, even at the last minute, including costume changes.

Milind Soman plays the villain again in this film after Paiyya. How was it working with him the second time?

Milind looks like the hero. He carries off the villain's role in a casual, cool, subtle style.

How was it sharing space with Santhanam?

Santhanam didn't smile at all. He's always angry in the film as his role demands that. So far we have done roles as friends. Here we are not.

Have you dubbed in Telugu yourself for Bad Boy?

Yes, I have. Thankfully I have to speak slowly in the film. I am a man of action in the film and I have punchy dialogues. I finished the dubbing in four-five days.

The Telugu version is releasing later (maybe around January 25), not along with the Tamil film.

What would you like to say about the director Suraj?

He is excellent in dialogue – more so in comedy – in rhyming words. There's always laughter, humour around him on the sets. It's like another film running in the backdrop.

This is my most expensive film to date. The director knows his job well. He is meticulous in planning and knows what he wants. He doesn't take unnecessary shots.

What can the audience look forward to in Alex Pandian?

It's an action comedy. There's no dull moment in the film. People can laugh and will be entertained throughout. It's a fast-paced, fun film.

Personally how did you find doing this film?

It was physically demanding. We shot in remote places, villages, inside deep forests. We travelled a lot for this film.

We had a lot of fun on the sets. The camaraderie and chemistry also helps. It's visible on screen. We really enjoyed ourselves. We would go on dancing even after the director said cut!

I would also like to add that the producer has spent a lot. There are big technicians involved in this film. Everyone has put in a lot of effort.

You are shooting for two films All in All Azhagu Raja and Biryani...

Yes, I have started both. I'm halfway through Biryani.