Neeraj Madhav: I don’t like labels, I’d prefer to be called an artiste

After making heads turn through his Hindi web series and making waves as a rapper, actor Neeraj Madhav is all set to debut in Tamil through a Gautham Menon – Silambarasan film and in Hindi too, by starring alongside Ayushmann Khurrana. He also recently had his first international show as a musician in London and is gearing up for the release of his next track, Po. Neeraj, who also has two films coming up in Malayalam, shares with us the details of his new performance turfs:

The poster of your Tamil film Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu, featuring you with Simbu is widely shared on social media with many speculating you as his antagonist.
Simbu has a huge fan base and so, my social media has been exploding ever since the poster was out. I always wanted to explore the Tamil industry and used to watch Tamil films more than Malayalam films. I also did my college in Tamil Nadu and so, I’m fluent in Tamil. I was just waiting for a great team like this one, consisting of Gautham sir, Simbu and AR Rahman, to debut in Tamil and this film was too good to resist.
I can’t talk about the character, but can say that it’s Gautham sir who reached out to my team with this role, after spotting me in Family Man. It was about six months ago, and I met him in his office in Chennai. And now, we just have a few weeks of shooting left.
Your feature film debut in Hindi is with Ayushmann Khurrana, and you had earlier revealed how you were offered Chhichhore, too, though you couldn’t do it then. What urged you to wait so long to debut?
I don’t bother much about the length or screen time of my character in a project, but believe that my character should have an impact on the story. I also wanted to debut with a good team, and picked this film because it meets both my criteria. I have also been following Ayushmann’s work and unique choices.

You had earlier confessed how the Hindi language is challenging for you. How has it improved?
I am generally approached for south Indian characters who speak Hindi and so, diction-wise, I don’t have to bother much and I don’t think I have a thick accent either. Anyway, I’m not trying to pass as a native Hindi-speaker, at least now and I feel it is great to have some South Indian representation in these films. If a project that demands a proper Hindi accent comes, I will definitely take the necessary efforts. In Malayalam films, I never prepare with my script the day before the shoot but in Hindi, I do, to ensure that I remember the lines!

How is it to do films at the same time in different industries and also make music, alongside?
There are both challenges and perks to it. For example, it is a challenge to ensure that you maintain the continuity of your look. I was shooting for the Malayalam film Sundari Gardens in between working in the Gautham Menon film. But, there are also perks. All your hopes are not pinned on to a single project and its verdict might not affect you too much. It’s all about time management. I also don’t know how fearless I would be in the future to take risks or push boundaries, like I am doing now.

Tell us about your next song Po
It is a drill track-drill is a subculture of hip-hop. So far, my popular tracks followed a storytelling pattern. But, this one, I feel, is more lyrical and hard-hitting. It’s personal and is about facing criticism and it offers a reply to the naysayers.
You do many things, but what do you identify the best as?
I don’t like labels, and I rather prefer to be called an artiste. We often hear people saying that you should stick to one thing. But, I feel it’s just a preconceived notion that’s not right. Even the full version of the ‘Jack of all trades’ line that’s often quoted at multi-taskers is, ‘A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.’ Funnily enough, when I make music, at times people comment, ‘Oh appo padam onnum illa alle (So, you have no movies).’ There is also this notion that cinema is the ultimate form of art, or even movie music is what matters the most, which I’d like to break. In my case, I have met many who know me for my songs, than my music. It’s great to reach out to that section of audience too, as an artiste.



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