After the successful run of Iravukku Aayiram Kangal in May 2018, actor Arulnithi Tamilarasu felt he was getting too comfortable with thrillers and decided to sign up for a different genre. However, days later Barath Neelakantan approached him with the script of his first film K-13, and it was too good to refuse. “Usually, when a director approaches me with a story, we chat and get to know each other. But, Barath was confident of his script. In the first meeting, in a single sentence, he told me how he envisioned the film. I said let’s hear the script, and 15 minutes into it, there was a surprise element that I didn’t predict at all. It was early in the story, and I couldn’t guess how things would proceed, but what followed was just as fast-paced and thrilling,” says Arulnithi.
The film is a psychological thriller, and 90 per cent of the events take place within the four walls of a house. Arulnithi plays an assistant director, and his co-actor Shraddha Srinath, a writer. He says that through the film, the audience would see what they go through in the course of their work. “For an assistant director, getting the ‘first film’ is most important, and in my character you’ll see that grit. Barath has written it so well. Shraddha was apt for her role. She brought variations in every scene, in a role that was certainly not easy. She internalised the character.”
For Arulnithi, the concept of the film was new and his character posed certain challenges. “The dialogues are few and I had to emote more. It was Bharat who guided me through this. My character was so clear in his mind that I would even joke he was a lot like Barath.” It was also the concept that set the film apart. “We’ve had psychological thrillers, but this was unlike anything I’ve watched. It’s also short and crisp with a run time of about 1 hour 40 minutes,” he says.
K-13 is Arulnithi’s seventh film with a new director, and another thriller after commercially successful films such as Demonte Colony, Aarathu Sinam and Mouna Guru. The actor admits, “It so happens that every time it’s a new director and a thriller. I’m happy that I’m working with many new directors. It does feel like thrillers have become easy for me. But, I should start doing other genres,” he smiles.
Arulnithi has just signed a film with director Seenu Ramasamy, and pre-production is on. From this year, the actor is also planning to work on more than one film a year. “I want to listen to a lot of scripts, and wish to act in experimental films. I want to push myself to the maximum extent possible, to give the best I can.”
Image Courtesy: Arulnithi Twitter Handle
