‘I am tired of the boy-next-door image’

While Saanve is adapting to changes, her co-star Manikandan covets change. As someone who gained fame playing relatable boy-next-door characters in films like Kaala, Good Nightand Loverthe actor thinks it is time for change. While he acknowledges the fact that such an image helped take him to the masses, the actor says, “In cinema, it is easy for your boon to turn into a curse. I think if I push it any further, there is a great risk of the audience getting tired of me.” He then adds, “Forget the audience, I am bored of the image myself.” This is perhaps why the actor is currently listening to a couple of action scripts and has even signed on to some projects. However, Manikandan remains cautious. “If I focus on one thing and go after that one image relentlessly then I will lose a number of beautiful things that might come my way. I am just opening myself to a few more avenues and in the mood to explore different types of projects,” says the actor. Manikandan says his guiding compass to find new projects has always been interesting stories and he never focuses on his own role in the film. Saanve agrees, “I have come to realise that the story is the hero and it does not matter how good your character is if the story isn’t good.” As for the kind of stories she is looking for, Saanve says she wants to do a full-fledged romance while Manikandan adds, “She is athletic and I think she would be perfect for an action film.” While he is eager to shed his image of a boy next door, Manikandan reveals that every character he has played has elements of people he has met in real life, which essentially grounds them to reality. So, in order to play a larger-than-life character, with very few real-world references, how would he look past stereotypes and acting cliches? The actor says that cliches are not necessarily bad. “Sometimes, whether it is a boy-next-door or a larger-than-life character, cliches ground them in reality and make them easily understandable to the audience.” The writer-actor notes, “It is interesting how sometimes cliches become the most effective way to make a relatable character.”