Tamil actor Vishnu never aspired to be an actor. An active cricketer who played in the under-16 and under-19 teams of India’s South Zone, Vishnu pinned his hopes on playing for the country. Unfortunately, a shin injury in 2003 cut short his cricketing career. Confined to a bed for six months, Vishnu found solace in films.
What started as a pastime grew into a love that ultimately led him onto a different pitch altogether.
From the cricket grounds to the screen, it was not an easy walk for Vishnu, who got his first break with Suseenthiran’s Venilla Kabadi Kuzhu, a box office hit. With five films under his belt, Vishnu displayed an especially remarkable performance in his last film, Neerparavai.
The MBA graduate is now ready with his next film, this weekend’s Mundasupatti, a love tale of the 1980s, directed by D. Ram and produced by Fox Star Studios and Thirukumaran Entertainment.
Tell us about your character in ‘Mundasupatti’
In this story set in the eighties, I am Gopi, a photographer, who believes he is the best in his trade. His studio is named Hollywood Studio, which does not do much business, yet Gopi poses to be always busy.
Gopi’s trademark is his flashy sunglasses, his long hair and his attire, the bell-bottoms. His bike and his camera are inseparable from him. He visits the village of Mundasupatti, where the residents shirk from taking photographs due to an old belief that it will reduce their life span. There he falls in love and that takes the story forward.
How different is Gopi from your earlier roles?
The characters I played earlier were emotional, but Gopi is a light-hearted character. But that does not mean he is loud. He is quiet and subdued. The story is laced with comedy and the humour comes through Gopi’s one liners and his body language. I enjoyed playing Gopi who is diametrically opposite to the fisherman of Neerparavai.
What about working with new director Ram?
Mundasupatti has evolved from his short film of the same name that had actor Kaali Venkat playing the lead. Ram was open to discussion and it helped in improvising the character. It was a great team to work with.
And your chemistry with Nandita?
Nandita plays a village girl who is initially not interested in Gopi. The love scenes are subtle and reminiscent of the eighties. We shared a good rapport working together.
Actually it was the chemistry with my supporting actor Kaali that rocked. Kaali plays my assistant and his wise cracks will steal the show.
What’s next?
I am playing a cricketer in Suseenthiran’s Veera Dheera Sooran. Then there is Kalukkuray Maaplay, directed by Ethan Suresh, where I play a lawyer’s apprentice. It’s a fun film. I am working with Seenu Ramasamy again in Idam Poru Eval along with Vijay Sethupathy. This is a story of two strangers and how their lives interconnect.
