As Kollywood actor Karthi and Aditi Rao Hydari take to the stage in Kochi to discuss their latest film Kaatru Veliyidai directed by Mani Ratnam, one can’t help but notice that Karthi has lost a lot of weight. Mention a Mani Ratnam romantic film and the first images that come to mind, in addition to the sweeping camera work, lush frames and inventive musical scores, are the lead characters in films like Roja, Bombay, Alaipayuthe and Dil Se. Karthi states, “Mani sir’s heroes are people you want to emulate in life and I know girls often tell their parents that they want to marry someone like those heroes. It is so difficult to live up to Mani sir’s heroes!”
Karthi or rather his character Captain Varun will soon be on every unmarried girls lips’ going by the scenes and songs that ooze romantic moments. Not that Mani Ratnam’s heroines are any lesser — they are strong but beautiful, feisty yet look like porcelain dolls and can inspire the widest of romantic gestures from a man. There could be no one better suited to play the sensitive yet strong Dr Leela than Aditi who has a mind of her own. Karthi, who has assisted Mani Ratnam in Aayutha Ezhuthu and has helped in the scripting of Guru is very familiar with the working style of the master. But it took 10 years for the acclaimed director to cast Karthi as the lead in his movie. Karthi, after reading the script of Kaatru Veliyidai had one question to ask Mani Ratnam — if he really wanted to cast him as fighter pilot Varun? Karthi confesses, “I thought the role was better suited for my brother Suriya than me!” Karthi mentions that the perfectionist director was very clear about Varun’s sketch.
A still from Kaatru Veliyidai
Sir told me that he did not want any trace of Karthi in Varun — who wore his arrogance like a second skin.” Karthi, while trying to grasp the character, started doing his homework — meeting a lot of fighter pilots and taking flying lessons in a simulator. He also trimmed down his physique to look the part. It was then that he started understanding Varun. “Fighter pilots are the cream of the Indian Army with great skill, physical endurance and boundless love for their country. Their training itself is dangerous and they smile in the face of death every day. That gives them supreme confidence which translates to certain arrogance and I had to bring that to my character.” The challenge was that it was not a war film but a love story and Karthi had to bring the exuberance, passion and conflicts of a lover all the while not letting slip of his pilot facade.
Mani Ratnam gave both Karthi and Aditi complete freedom and space to flesh out their characters. The actors recall Mani Ratnam telling them that he had just scripted the characters and that they had to help him create the characters. Karthi discussed clothes, body language, dialogues, expressions and camera angles with Mani Ratnam to add authenticity to his character. Another specialty of Mani Ratnam is that he shoots five to six scenes a day and does not say what he wants from a scene but lets the actor carry the role forward according to his homework. Though it was a completely different and new experience for Karthi, he adapted very fast, but Aditi had her work cut out because she had the language barrier to deal with.
Aditi reveals, “I cannot speak Tamil at all though I can now. I saw the dialogues given to me on the first day and I wondered if all that much was for just a single day and burst into tears! Mani sir called me for the first dialogue session and I poured my heart out to him. I told him that it was my dream to work with him but I felt that I would let him down if I did not know the language.” Mani Ratnam’s reply wiped away all fears she had. He said, ‘That is my problem, you don’t have to worry about anything!’ Language barrier proved to be in Aditi’s favour because she got to spend time with the Master who nurtured her and answered all her doubts.
Playing Dr Leela was a challenge as Aditi says, “Leela has just finished her MBBS and her first posting is in Srinagar. She has a lot of dreams, is an idealist and earnest but she is working in a strife-ridden place. Sir gets into the head of his characters and the way he writes you start believing in what they do.” Aditi as Dr Leela had to learn to monitor and take blood pressure readings and to hold a stethoscope. Aditi adds, “Mani sir used to check if I was really taking the pressure readings!” Shooting in subzero temperatures was also a devil, she adds, with the mercury plummeting from 4 degrees to -15 degrees. She says, “Karthi and I were freezing, our nails were blue and our feet were swollen. People said I looked like a rose but I felt I looked like Rudolph, the reindeer! But my dream to work with Mani sir was worth all that and more!”
