When Ashwin is usually accosted by someone on the road and asked what he’s up to, he tells them that he’s working on a couple of movies. The general response is: ‘ Yaaru saar hero ?’ (Who is the hero?). At which point, the young actor permits himself a smile and says, “I am, sir.”
The people asking him that question are perhaps being genuine — Ashwin has starred in ensemble-cast flicks ( Mankatha ) and two-hero subjects ( Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara ). But, his upcoming films are ones in which he plays the protagonist and drives the story forward.
The first one in that line-up is Zero , which hits screens on March 25. Ashwin describes it as a “supernatural story with a strong romantic streak.” “It is ambitious storytelling,” admits Ashwin, who plays a social worker. “But, the director (Shiv Mohaa) is a great visualiser; his conversion of the strong script into the visuals was effective. There’s a lot of CG work too, which is why it took time for the film to finish.”
Growing up, it was the make-believe aspect in films that drew Ashwin to them. “I was a special effects freak as a kid,” he recalls. “I enjoyed the magic of cinema and marvelled at how it was all done. I loved Star Wars and Spielberg’s films,” he says. Closer home, Kamal Haasan’s work — in films like Michael Madana Kama Rajan and Aboorva Sagodharargal — fascinated him. “He still hasn’t revealed how he managed to pull off the dwarf role in Aboorva …,” he trails off, the awe evident in his eyes.
It was to witness those magical elements that Ashwin decided to be part of the movie business; he says the term ‘movie buff’ would fit him more than that of a ‘hero’. He knew he wanted to do something creative (“I’d have become an architect had movies not happened”) but it was being part of Ajith’s Mankatha that made him decide to take to life in front of the camera.
“Had that not happened, I’d have become an assistant director…. or perhaps even an architect,” he laughs.
But it did — and Ashwin backed that up with a major role in Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara (that featured Vijay Sethupathi). Soon, Megha , a romantic story with him in the lead, happened, and now, Ashwin is part of three projects that have him as the hero… err, protagonist.
Apart from Zero , he has Thiri, predominantly a father-son tale, and Thollaikatchi , a rural light-hearted rom-com, lined up. Then, there’s a travel-adventure film set in Rajasthan that he’s kicked about. It’s being directed by Rathindran, who worked earlier with Sarkunam and directed the popular ‘Kodaikanal Won’t’ video. “With producers looking for fresh content and directors having a voice, Tamil cinema is a good place to be in today,” he signs off.
