Yesterday, today and `Naalai'
SUBHA J RAO
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Actor Richard, whose entry as the hero of `Kaadhal Virus' was lukewarm, made an impact in the action-packed, `Naalai.'
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UPBEAT MOOD: Richard in `Naalai.'
For his first two films, `Kaadhal Virus' and `Girivalam,' he banked on his good looks. But that got him nowhere. Then, Richard grew a stubble and turned into the convincing thug, Justin, in Udayabhanu Maheswaran's `Naalai.' He won critical acclaim for his role and that has turned him into a more confident and focussed actor.
"I always wanted to do an action movie. It was a welcome change and I was very comfortable doing the role of Justin; it was very life like. I grew up watching such boys roaming the streets of Chennai and could relate to it," says Richard.
Director's actor
How does it feel to be accepted after two duds? "Great! I am a director's actor and I just followed instructions. Nattu (cinematographer Nataraj Subramaniam, who played his friend in the film) is a very close friend and the chemistry you saw on screen is real."
He continues, "`Kaadhal... was launched with a lot of fanfare but lack of publicity did the film in; not many people even knew it had released. But, I still hoped it would work."
He was also under a contract for the film, which made him lose out on other plum roles. Would his career have shaped out differently then? "Possibly. Sometimes good things take time to happen," he reasons.
Richard then did a film in Malayalam, `Kootu,' based on friendship. However, his first hit was `A film by Aravind' (Telugu) in which he played the character of Rishi. "It was an experimental film and we felt it would either become a big hit or a flop. Luckily, it fared well." That film also saw him adopt the name of Rishi in Telugu films. Now, Richard is doing three films in that language — Koti Ramakrishna's `Devathulu' with Kutty Radhika, `Bhagyalakshmi Bumper Draw' (a remake of the Hindi Malamaal Weekly) and an action flick, `Bangara Konda.' In Tamil, he has `Mrs. Raghava,' a thriller where he shares screen space with Debina. It is being directed by an associate of actor-director Parthiban.
His latest film to hit the screen was the sci-fi `Yuga.' His role did not meet the huge expectations that `Naalai' generated. "It was supposed to be released long before `Naalai,' but got delayed. The film was also reminiscent of `A film... ' because this too was shot in the forest."
Smooth transition
How did he get into films? "I never intended to get into movies. School was my focus. The only shootings I attended were when I had to accompany my sisters. That's how I got to do a small part in `Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari' (Telugu). Then, modelling happened. Films were a natural transition," he says.
Richard comes from a family of actors (his sisters are Shalini and Shamlee and Ajit is his brother-in-law). Was the weight of everybody's expectations too much to take? "No. But, when I started off, I was known as Shalini's brother. I hope there will come a time when she is known as my sister," he says.
Busy as he is in Telugu, has he managed to pick up the language? "I have, and I am planning to dub myself soon."
Feeding his love for films is the store he started with friend Santosh, Cinema Paradiso, in Chennai. The DVD outlet has its branches in six cities. "I watch three to four films a day. Santosh shares my passion for cinema and we thought of opening a DVD rental store. I was very involved in its inception; he takes care of it now."
As for reactions from his family, he says: "I am used to them. After all, I used to comment about Shalini's and Shamlee's films all the time."
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