Murugadoss gave me the confidence to do 'Gethu', says Udhayanidhi Stalin on his Pongal release

There is no sign of nervousness as Udhayanidhi chats about his latest film Gethu, gearing up for a Pongal release. Having started his career in Kollywood in the comic genre, the actor-producer is now experimenting with new roles and says he is quite excited about this film. In an exclusive interview with dna, Udhayanidhi opens up about the film, Amy Jackson, politics and more.

Tell us about Gethu.
It’s a crime thriller which takes place in this village called Kumily, on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. The first half of the film is light with comedy and the second half has all the twists and turns. The film is just two hours as we’ve tried to keep it tight. Amy Jackson is the heroine, Sathyaraj sir is also there and so is Karuna. 

After three comedies, why did you choose to do a crime thriller?
I think people would have got bored with me after three comedies. (Laughs) I wanted to do a movie with substance and the script by Thirukumaran was intriguing. But I was skeptical initially as I had to have a different t look and it was a role I wasn’t sure I’d be comfortable with. But director AR Murugadoss gave me the confidence.

Amy Jackson plays Nandhini in this film opposite Udhayanidhi

How was director Murugadoss involved in this film?
Director Thirukumaran was director Murugadoss’ assistant. In fact, it was director Murugadoss who called me up and said I should listen to this script and said I should do the film. Post that, he was quite involved in the film. He was part of the story sessions and at every stage would sit in on the edit. But he hasn’t seen the complete film yet. He was also the one who spoke to Sathayaj sir and asked him to take up the project.

Did you ask Murugadoss to do a film with you?
The fact that he spent so much of his time and effort on this project itself is a big deal, how can I ask him that as well? (Laughs)

Don’t you want to work with the bigger directors?
I am ready to work with the big directors, but they should be ready to work with me! (Laughs)

Why didn’t you rope in your good friend Santhanam for this film too?
Santhanam and I have worked together in all my films, but this is a different script. If we had Santhanam in the film, then we would need to do justice to him as well. But I did take Santhanam’s permission before we got someone else on board. Karuna is there in most of the first half as comic relief and he has done well.

How was it working with Amy Jackson?
She’s a hard worker. She used to get her lines written in English and learn them before she came on set. Even on set she would look like she’s studying for an exam, with her dialogue sheets and a pen in hand. Amy plays the role of Nandhini, who’s like a rowdy.

But was Amy's Liverpool English easy to follow?
It’s tough to follow, so I prefer to speak to her face-to-face or I text her. Else I’ll keep saying ‘pardon’ or ‘excuse me’.  (Laughs)

Watch the trailer of Gethu here:

Your look was changed completely for the film.
Yes, they wanted a totally different look for me from my earlier films. So I had grey contact lenses, a beard and different hairstyle and so on. When they wanted to cut my hair, I was very anxious because I didn’t want to. They also said we’ll get a wig, but I said no. I told them to just work with my hair how best they could.

2016 will see elections in Tamil Nadu. Are you going to be campaigning for the DMK?
Like I’ve said earlier, I’m not interested in politics. I’ll be busy shooting for my film during this period. I am doing a film with director Suseenthiran. It’s a multi-starrer but the other hero has not been decided yet.

Will the second hero be a big one?
Any hero is bigger than me. (Laughs)

Do you and your dad, MK Stalin, discuss politics?
Of course we do. Like any father and son, we talk about a lot of things including politics and films. I talk to him about his campaigns and so on. 

Has your grandad, DMK chief M Karunanidhi, seen your films?
Yes, he has. He has seen OKOK and Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal and he liked the films. I visit him about four or five times a year and he always asks about my films. He is very aware of what I am doing. He’ll be busy now with the upcoming elections, so I am not sure he’ll have time to watch Gethu.