Kamal Haasan stuns with knowledge; Mani Ratnam doesn’t waste time on set like other directors: Thug Life’s Ashok Selvan

He is a 35-year-old actor who has found success on his own terms, slowly and steadily, in the Tamil film industry. Ashok Selvan began his film career in 2013 and today, finds himself in an important role in Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus, Thug Life. The Tamil actor says he’s blessed to have bagged the role in Thug Life on his acting merits. In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Ashok Selvan opens up about working with Mani Ratnam, Kamal Haasan and more. (Also read: Silambarasan says Mani Ratnam asked him to grab Kamal Haasan’s neck tightly in Thug Life: ‘He gave terrible reaction’)

As he gets chatting with Hindustan Times, Ashok Selvan begins by saying, “When I accepted Thug Life, it was because I really wanted to experience working with ace director Mani Ratnam and the acting legend Kamal Haasan. I had worked as a hero in films, but this movie for me was going beyond that. I have a key role in this film, but I am not the protagonist, and that didn’t deter me at any point. I wanted to learn from these legends, and I did have a lot of learning.”

The legend that’s Kamal Haasan

So, what was the experience like working with Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan for the first time? “I was a little nervous because I had never worked with them. When I came on set for the first time, I had a scene with Kamal sir with a lengthy dialogue. I asked Simbu, who was on set and had already worked with Mani sir in a film, how it would be. Simbu told me it would be tough and added that I should not look directly at Kamal sir’s eyes at any time during my shot, as there was something magical about them. I didn’t take it seriously, though. I did the first take, and when Kamal sir turned and looked at me halfway through my dialogue, I paused. This happened during numerous takes, and Mani sir was getting upset with me for this unnecessary pause. At the end of the day, Kamal sir told me, ‘You did a good job,’ and I was so happy. I told Kamal sir that I was a huge fanboy and I couldn’t speak when he looked at me so intensely, and he just laughed,” smiles the Blue Star hero. 

“For me, the two most important takeaways from Thug Life are working with Mani Ratnam sir and the conversations I had about cinema with Kamal Haasan sir. Working with Mani sir as a director is unforgettable for me. I learnt so much from him. And Kamal sir taught me so much, given the extensive knowledge he has about cinema,” gushed Selvan. “One day, some of us were travelling with Kamal sir in a car, and he was talking about Thevar Magan and how the song Inji Iduppu Azhage came about. He said it was based on a centuries-old folk song, and he sang that song for us. I was shocked that he would remember this song from 30 years ago, and he told me, ‘You’ll remember anything that has an impact on you.’ But I don’t think that’s true – I think that’s Kamal sir. He is unique and a legend.”

Mani Ratnam, the director sans pareil

As a director, Mani Ratnam had Ashok Selvan spellbound with his working style. “I have worked with many newcomer directors, and this was the first time I was working with someone with decades of experience and who was still on top of his game. Mani Ratnam sir would start work at 7:30 am, and there was not a single minute he would waste on set. He was very quick with his work, unlike what I have seen with new-age directors. I think this is a big learning for them – new directors should come to Mani sir’s set and see the way he works. I was stunned to see his level of efficiency even now,” he says.

The Saba Nayagan hero reveals that he got to know Simbu during shooting for Thug Life and found him to be nothing like the stories in the media. “Simbu is very nice and nothing like what is being bandied about. He and I had a scene together, and he was very helpful and gave me advice as well. Thug Life will be a turning point in Simbu’s career. It’ll definitely do great things for him,” stated Ashok Selvan. “I was very comfortable with him, and we spoke about a lot of things. I think the relationships that I formed with Mani sir, Kamal sir, Simbu and Trisha were really enriching.”

The Oh My Kadavule actor says he shot for Thug Life for ten days, and it was the most enriching shoot of his career. Selvan emphasises, “Mani Ratnam sir, Kamal Haasan sir and AR Rahman sir have come together after 37 years to work together in Thug Life. What is so admirable is that each of them works on films that they believe in and are passionate about – it’s not determined by market forces. Thug Life is one such film. They believed in this film and worked together on this, and I think that it’s going to be a movie that will make an impact on the audience. They made Nayagan, and the rest was history, and I think Thug Life is like that. The audience must go to the theatres and watch this film on June 5.”