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On a roll

Photo: S.S KUMAR & M. SRINATH

Good looking Desirous to explore

Narain admits he doesn’t quite like to sport a beard. And yet, in very few movies he has been seen clean shaven.

In “Pookadai Ravi” which is under production, he sports a dishevelled appearance, suiting the role of a flower vendor. “I went clean shaven for the film’s photo shoot. But the crew felt I was looking too bright and hence I was asked to sport a beard. I don’t blame anyone for that because the story that has come my way demands such a look,” he explains. Looks apart, Narain is not after stereotyped roles either, even though opportunities to play strong characters have come knocking on his door aplenty.

The current project that fulfils his desire to explore other genres of roles and acting holds out a lot of promise for him. It could even place him in the mould of mass heroes. “I came across many such offers after my debut role in “Chithiram Pesudhadi”. But I was not inclined to rush. The wait for a role I was looking for after ‘Anjathe’ has now ended,” he shares. Narain has reasons to be excited about “Pookadai Ravi”. His introduction is through a song and fight sequence, befitting mass heroes. “But the number of persons I will be hitting will be about six or seven. You can expect the number to grow in my forthcoming movies,” he laughs. By being choosy, does he find the gap between his films lengthy? “Being selective is a conscious decision. After ‘Anjathe,’ I would have heard umpteen scripts, but okayed only one. But I can do precious little to expedite the shoot or film release. That’s due to various reasons,” he says. Even his parents are wary about his decision to be so choosy. “They are very happy with my performance in films. But this is one thing that bugs them. I think they are apprehensive that I might be out of people’s mind, although I don’t think so,” he quips. Narain confides that his parents were not at all keen in him entering the film world and instead wanted him to do a professional course. “But thankfully, I didn’t clear the entrance exam,” he smiles.

He went on to complete his Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics and joined Adayar Film Institute to complete D.F Tech (cinematography).

“That’s because my parents gave me the permission to be involved only in the technical side of cinema. But I nurtured a passion to face the camera and I somehow managed to convince my parents,” he recalls. Narain worked as an assistant cameraman under Rajeev Menon for some ad films before making his debut in Mollywood in his original name Sunil Kumar.

“I wanted to change my name before entering the Tamil industry. I decided Dhanush would be my screen name in Kollywood, but was told later that there was already an actor in Tamil with that name. I restarted the name hunt and felt Arya would suit me better. I came to know that Jamshed had changed his name as Arya and my search continued. The name Narain impressed me much and thankfully I was lucky the third time.” Narain has a close-knit group of friends and enjoys chatting with them. He also likes to spend time by himself. Narain considers himself lucky for having got an understanding wife.

“She is a great support. Manju is also a talented singer and has sung the ‘Idhu enna pudhu …’ number in the film ‘Chithiram Pesudhadi.’ “But she is not keen on pursuing a career in singing. Possibly she thinks I am sweeter than music,” he chuckles. Narian’s wedding reception was star-studded and he cherishes every moment of it. And what made the occasion doubly special for Narain was the presence of Kamal Hassan.

“I was always inspired by Kamal Hassan’s films and his acting and that’s how dreamt of becoming an actor. I am great fan of his from childhood. He is certainly one of the living legends of the Indian film industry,” he says.

On a chance to act with him: “Sure, the pleasure will be entirely mine,” he hopingly smiles!

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