Portraying it right

Surya has received appreciation from various quarters for his fabulous performance in Vaaranam Aayiram. Chennai Times chats up the actor.

It��s not easy for a film like Vaaranam Aayiram (VA) to impress mass audiences. It��s slow, poetic and sometimes unreal (after all, who would take out a guitar in the middle of the night on a train and start playing an old song for a girl he��s just met a few minutes ago?), but well, that��s what makes VA what it is.
As director Gautham has pointed out in most of his interviews �� it��s right from the heart.Most reviews as well comment on Surya��s performance as being ��from the bottom of his heart��.
��We made sure that we didn��t manipulate the subject to suit commercial needs,�� Surya says, ��When I read the script, it blew me away. But I was unsure if we could make it work on screen, and I��m now glad that I did.�� The movie has worked for a section of the audience, who have been messaging Surya telling him what they felt about the film. ��Unlike other films, I��ve got many personal messages this time. I guess everyone has an emotional side that they rarely explore.��
So, how was it playing a typical college guy, lost in love? ��I wish I was brave enough to tell a girl to her face what I thought of her. I enjoyed doing all those pranks,�� he reveals.

The role that he slogged it out for, in terms of body language and expressions, was the character of Krishnan. ��How can I play the part of a 64-year-old man �� that was the question we kept asking ourselves. Kamal��s role as father in Indian inspired me.��
But at theatres, it was his sexy six-pack that won the maximum applause. Does he plan on maintaining his high state of physical fitness? ��Probably not,�� he laughs, ��I still workout regularly and think that if I��m at it for a couple of weeks, I can get my six-pack back!��
How does he react to comments that there was an overdose of English words in the dialogue? ��Gautham thinks in English and writes dialogues in Tamil,�� says Surya, ��The characters in the film belong to an urban middle-class family. It��s common for such people to use many English words in their daily conversation. But, we always paused and thought if it would sound good on screen before shooting it.�� The actor also recalls a conversation he had with a middle-aged villager on the day of the film��s release. ��He had called 10 times and when I called back, he was crying. Such has been the effect of the father character,�� adds Surya, who is currently finishing work on Ayan. Says he, ��Ayan will be a smart, intelligent and logical film.��

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