‘I am not trying to be an experimental filmmaker’

Siddharth, who made a big bang in Bollywood with Rang De Basanti, is now focusing on South films. He had one big hit recently and is gearing up for a second release. The actor is known to speak his mind and has never compromised on what he wants to do. He has now set up his own production house and seems to be content with his career. Speaking exclusively to AfterHrs, Siddharth talks about films, awards and sexism in the film industry.  

Happy with Aranmanai 2?
Why would I not be? (laughs) This is the first big blockbuster of the year. It’s always good to be part of big films because you don’t get too many films in your career where you know the day that you sign it, it’s going to be a massive hit.

Why did you do a multi-starrer?
I don’t use words like solo-starrer and multi-starrer. I don’t think they apply to me as an actor or my career. There are multiple reasons for signing a film. Each film is a different kettle of fish. As far as I am concerned, Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru was one of the biggest hits of my career. But it was not a film that pushed me as an actor or taught me something new. You don’t expect that from every film. These are what I’d like to call ‘paid holiday films’.

You’re starring in and producing the upcoming Tamil film Jil Jung Juk.
This is my second production. I set up Etaki Productions to make commercial films that haven’t been made before. I felt Jil Jung Juk is a fun, entertaining film and I’ve never seen a film like this in Indian cinema. I’m going with the assumption that everyone will watch it, but till the movie releases, your guess is as good as mine. I’m not trying to make a film to change the world or be an experimental filmmaker. I am making a full-on commercial masala movie that should not look like every mass film that releases every Friday.

There is no heroine in JJJ...
I’ve made 27 films so far and this is my first film without a heroine. Obviously, I won’t say that a heroine is not needed in a film. There is no heroine’s character in this film. It’s not a deliberate choice to change the sexual status quo of cinema. It’s just that the film didn’t have a heroine’s character in it and I felt it would be idiotic to force a heroine’s character for other reasons. It would take away from the original voice of the cinema. If this was an all-woman film, I wouldn’t push a man’s character into it, just to make it masculine. So I’ve just gone with what the script demands.

You’re the producer and producers always add the ‘glam’ element in the film.
Yes, I had the choice as a producer to leave the script as it is or I can like you said — for purposes of glamour — which I find very sexist — thrown in a female actor. I find that extremely sexist and disrespectful and I don’t want to do that. I don’t think I need a cheap trick to sell a film. The story of the film should be fine.

Last few years, the number of releases you’ve has come down. Is it a conscious decision?
In the two weeks now, I have two Tamil film releases. Technically, I have done five films in the last two-and-a -half years. If you look at numbers according to the conventional Christian calendar than these numbers obviously don’t make sense. But if you look at it in number of days, then I have been working every day. It’s an industry where films come out when they are ready and when they should. I don’t think I’ve slowed down my work in the first four years — if anything I’ve done more work in the last four years than before that. In fact, I would like to slow down. If you look at it there are only so many films that can be made, come out and do well. It’s every easy to make films — if you look at the number of films being made it looks like anybody can make a film. But the difficult part is the release.  I learnt that the hard way in some releases where a film didn’t get the release it deserved. That’s the way the market is. I think it’s good to slow down and figure out how to consolidate that process.

Were you disappointed that Enakkul Oruvan (the remake of Kannada film Lucia) didn’t do well?
I think you’re always disappointed when a film doesn’t do as well as it should. Whenever I am asked what are your favourite films, I’ve always spoken about the ones that didn’t work. Films like Ennakul Oruvan and Kaaviya Thalaivan were well-reviewed films. I worked so hard on them and showcased so much of me as an actor, but they didn’t give me anything. Here, I go on a paid holiday with Aranmanai 2 with a close friend who made the film and on the first day, it’s declared a blockbuster. So now you tell me why I wouldn’t do Aranmanai 2? Once in a while, you’d like your films to do well and this is important. This is what we go to work for. There’s blood and sweat filmmaking that goes completely unnoticed and then there’s fun and happy filmmaking that gets rewarded, you need to do both.

Director Sundar (actor-politician Khushboo’s husband) and you are good friends. Will you be working together again?
Absolutely. We were planning to another film before Aranmanai 2. I became part of this film when he asked me. We have a few exciting projects lined up in multiple genres. The thing about friendship is that sometimes familiarity breeds contempt.  We are very careful, so we don’t keep on working together, as we’ll get bored. I’d rather he announce the project as he’s the director. It’s not just a happy coincidence that he’s the only director I’ve worked with a second time. It’s a great fact that he and I get along well as professionals and friends.

So is it because you are choosy about your directors?
I have been working for 13 years as an actor and done 27 films. Aamir Khan does a film in four years, I don’t. So, I am not a choosy actor. (Laughs) Choosy is a word that can be used by actors who get a lot of choice. I don’t. Why do you think I’m producing my own films?