If you can’t act in front of Kamal, you can’t act anywhere: Ananth Mahadevan

Filmmaker-actor Ananth Mahadevan is quite excited by the response that he has been getting for his role in the recently released Papanasam. “Many thanks to Kamal Haasan for introducing me to southern cinema. I am enjoying every bit of love and support which is being shown here,” says Ananth. Showering praise on Kamal Haasan, Ananth recounts how he adjusted the dates for him as he was busy with another project.

Interestingly, Ananth was even offered a role in Uttama Villain. But he couldn’t do it because of his other commitments. “When you’re with a person like Kamal, he’ll make sure you do things in a perfect way. If you cannot act in front of him, you can’t act in front of anybody for that matter. I wouldn’t take full credit for my performance, I owe it equally to Kamal,” he adds.
Ananth says he wants to expand his horizons in acting and let the audiences know he can perform any role with ease.

“I worked pretty hard to deliver my dialogues on the sets as I don’t like being prompted. I prepared myself well before I went for the shoot. I never knew people would appreciate subtlety. I was trying not to act, but to be myself,” Ananth says. Being a director and actor is definitely a plus, says Ananth. “So, it’s really not a question of whether I was apprehensive of taking up this role. When you know rules, you can play the game without any fear,” he smiles.

Ananth recalls how he was replaced by singer-actor SP Bala-subrahmanyam for Mani Ratnam’s Thiruda Thiruda at the last moment. “Actually, Mani Ratnam signed me for the role, but I don’t know what happened and why those changes happened. But all I could say is I am not a bad actor! But again, this is on a lighter note,” laughs Ananth. So, has he signed any other film? “Yes, Kamal Haasan has roped me in for Vishwaroopam 2 where I play the role of a London-based sly bureaucrat,” he tells DC.