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Mister Mean Daniel Balaji says he prefers doing negative roles

“The response for ‘Polladhavan’ has been very positive. Rajni sir saw the first show and said it was a class act. I was thrilled,” says Balaji.

But, is he not afraid of being typecast, essaying role after role where his sheer presence sends chills down people’s spines? “No. In fact, personally, I prefer negative roles, because you can play with the character’s psychology and get deep into his skin,” he says.

Does that mean we will never see him in a positive role? “No! If there is a good positive character with realistic shades, I’ll definitely do it. See, in real life, all of us have our anger, eccentricities… and I think all that should translate on screen too. A good man can also have his quirks, no?”

On screen, Daniel packs in a lot of intensity into every frame. Does that spill over into real life too? “No. But, I tend to concentrate a lot. Even while shooting ‘Vettaiyaadu…’, I would withdraw into a corner and stay there. And, Gowtham would tell everyone to let me be, because I can react very badly when I am in such a mood.”

How did he land the role of Ravi in ‘Polladhavan’? “I guess Dhanush was looking for a worthy opponent on screen, and I ended up preparing for the film in a day. They wanted someone with long hair, and I tousled it in place before the first day’s shoot,” he recalls.

Also, to ensure their physiques matched, Balaji stopped going to the gym for eight months and acquired a dehydrated look matching that of Dhanush.

But, Balaji feels the meanness of his character worked because of the dignified performance of Kishore, who played his older brother in the film.

“He played a truly caring brother, and because of him, my villainy ended up being glorified.”

Balaji entered tinsel town because he was passionate about cinema. “I wanted to learn everything. Acting came my way, so I am doing that too.”

But, is he happy with the way his career is progressing? “Yes. I don’t meet people asking for roles, but I’ve been getting good work,” he says.

Next on Balaji’s plate is another film with Gowtham.

The recognition is sitting well on Balaji. “It definitely feels good when the industry tells you that your work is wonderful,” he says.

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