Child artiste Ramesh stole the hearts of cinema buffs by portraying the role of a slum dweller in the internationally recognised film Kaaka Muttai, directed by Manikandan. Now, Ramesh’s elder brother, Ranjith Kumar, is entering Kollywood as an actor in Sri Ganesh’s debut film, 8 Thottakkal.
Speaking to DC, Ganesh says, “We auditioned a lot of boys for the role and my friend suggested that Kaaka Muttai fame Ramesh would be perfect for the role. When we met him, he was actually all grown up and then we thought his elder brother, Ranjith would be a perfect fit. He plays Prabha, a pick-pocket in the crime thriller. His character is one of the important roles in the film.”
Ganesh claims that Ranjith is a natural and realistic actor — “I told him to act in a certain way in front of the camera, thinking that he is new to films. When I called the shot, he transformed into the character. When asked, he said, he was trained by director Manikandan during the shoot of Kaaka Muttai. For 8 Thottakkal, two of my assistant directors train him. His body language is perfect for the role,” the director adds.
The shooting for 8 Thottakkal is halfway done, with 23 days of shoot still pending. This film has newcomer Vetri and Aparna Balamurali of Maheshinte Prathikaram playing the lead roles, while Nasser, MS Bhaskar, producer T Siva and Mime Gopi play supporting roles.
