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The new baddie Ampili

He has a voracious appetite for villainy on the big screen, but when you catch up with him, he’s surely not the person you’ll love to hate.

The new bad man of Tamil films, V. S. Ampili, actually made his entry into tinseldom through “Kadal Puram”, a Malayalam film directed by Jayaraj. “I was fortunate to have got a break through Jayaraj’s film. I learnt a lot from the ace director,” he smiles. (Thankfully, it is not the maniacal laugh of screen villains!)

Ampili’s next major work was the role of the cunning Duraisingam in Chinney Jayanth’s directorial venture “Kaanal Neer.” As the main villain with surreptitious schemes, Ampili literally made the audience want to leap onto the screen and throttle him. “The point is screen villainy is not a bad thing. The villain makes the dark side of reality more comprehensible for the audience. Villains are no longer larger-than-life characters. They are just awful people – real and believable. As an actor, it gives good scope for performance. But I don’t want to get typecast. I’m open to experimenting with my roles and look. I hope to work with experienced artistes and directors who are willing to take chances with new faces.”

Talking about his forthcoming films “Saadu Miranda” and “Nepali,” the actor says, “Both are interesting roles. In ‘Nepali’ directed by Dorai, I play an investigating officer. While in ‘Saadu Miranda’ directed by Siddique, I play a cop.”

For someone who comes from a corporate background (he was regional manager in a multi-national company in the Gulf before his entry into films), Ampili’s passion for the performing arts dates back to his school days. “I was a regular at dramatic activities and music programmes in school and college. I’ve participated in several cultural programmes. Though I went the corporate way, my heart lay in acting. I knew that was my calling, so I returned. Right now, I juggle between television and films – just enjoy it. I’m also involved with Spectral Sound of Music, a recording studio, founded in association with friend and playback singer Unni Menon, in T. Nagar.”

Ampili who is a familiar face in the Malayalam and Tamil television circuit, is now part of “Thavam”, a serial by Sivaji Productions. “Again an exciting role. I play a Mumbai-based character with shades of negativism.”

And yes, he’s positive it will bring him more opportunities.

TKR

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