Vasanth Ravi in a scene from ‘Weapon’ | Photo Courtesy: Special Arrangement
After playing the role of a tough young man in star gema murderer rockyA common man killed by the supernatural AshwinA police officer whose father is a superstar prison guard, And a guy is caught in a love triangle Pon Ondru KandenVasanth Ravi is on a different mission this time. The actor is playing the lead role in this film Weapon Directed by Guhan Senniappan, who is known for directing Ride (2016) and Prime Video’s first Tamil original series Vella RajaVasanth says, “Our idea is not to repeat genres, and this variation is based on the scripts I get. I also look for strong points in my character that will create interest and curiosity for the audience.”
“It was not a conscious decision to choose a genre-specific film. But doing such films early in one’s career is a good option to choose commercial films later,” says Vasanth. He admits that despite all this, he is not someone who plans his choices. “If the story and the director convince me, I would love to do a completely commercial film. The field has changed because of filmmakers like Lokesh Kanagaraj sir and Nelson sir; it is different from what we saw in the 90s and early 2000s. What they are doing is in tune with the general pulse of the audience and I would like to be a part of such films. Ten years from now, it will change again and we have to adapt to the circumstances, the taste of the audience and the directors who handle it.”
Vasanth Ravi and Tanya Hope in a scene from ‘Weapon’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Vasanth said he likes the vision of the directors he has worked with. Weapon is no different. “Director Guhan has been watching a lot of DC and Marvel comics and anime since childhood. For me, listening to the script was like a fantasy in itself. He spoke about different worlds and how he wanted to connect them and create something at par with Hollywood cinematic universes,” says Vasanth, who was initially apprehensive about how the final product would turn out.
“I was very sceptical about how the action, CG and sound would be. Thankfully, Guhan was very clear about the making, and I am glad to have got such a film so early in my career. The fantasy element in the film is believable and will be presented realistically.”
Vasanth also feels that the film’s strong technical team allayed his initial apprehensions. “When I learnt that MR Rajakrishnan sir (National Award-winning audiographer) was on board and the music was by Ghibran, I realised the film was strong. During dubbing, I could see that it was 50 per cent of what Guhan had narrated to me. When I later saw the final cut with CG, sound, music and DI, I was completely convinced. Rajakrishnan sir, who is working on the film, Kalki 2898 AD He too watched the film and said that he now understands Guhan’s vision and loved the final product.
In his limited filmography, Vasanth has appeared in several films featuring multiple actors; Weapon, He is starring opposite veteran actor Sathyaraj. “Since I have just started my career, I want to cast myself in the lead role… as long as that happens, I don’t care if it is a multi-starrer film or someone is sharing equal space with me. jailer “It was definitely a different kind of film and I wanted to work with Rajini sir, know how he works and what it’s like to be with him on the sets. The whole film was about the father-son equation, so it had a greater impact despite having less screen time.”
Vasanth Ravi in a scene from ‘Weapon’ | Photo Courtesy: Special Arrangement
Vasanth’s business acumen makes him understand the long-term consequences of a film not doing well. “Hits are made when the audience feels the same way about your film as you do. Apart from being a blockbuster, I also want the film to be talked about for decades to come. As for flops, it may deter the producer from taking up another project with another filmmaker and actor, and in a way, I feel responsible for that too… it affects me a lot,” he explains.
As the conversation turns to the lack of youth romance stories, Vasanth says he has a fictional love story in the pipeline. “Producers are present with myriad ideas, but producers should also like to fund such films. I think producers in Tamil cinema think that thrillers and action films make more money; if one makes a feel-good romantic comedy, then the money is not enough. loving If it proves to be a hit in Tamil, more producers will probably be willing to buy it. Such genres are known to earn only a certain amount of money and with the Malayalam industry proving this wrong, it may soon have a positive impact on Tamil cinema as well.
Weapon is set to release in cinemas on June 7
