Actor Prithvi, son of actor-director Pandiarajan, made his debut by playing the lead in the 2006 film, Kai Vandha Kalai. Now, after more than fifteen years, he is all set to make his comeback with Blue Star—this time, as a supporting actor. “Words like ‘hero’ and ‘heroine’ are slowly fading from our film industry; I think this is a healthy trend. I am more interested in being called a good actor. As for Blue Star, it is a multi-starrer and the story has the scope for all of us to perform well.”
Prithvi also notes how Blue Star joins the recent long list of Tamil multi-starrer sports dramas. “Lal Salaam and Lubber Pandhu are releasing this year, but as far as cricket films go, we are entering the arena first,” he says laughing. On preparing for the role of a cricketer, Prithvi surprises us by saying, “Preparation wasn’t the hardest part because I play divisional cricket matches. My character in the film is a fast bowler while I am primarily a batsman and a wicketkeeper. In fact, it was during one of the celebrity cricket matches that Santhnu (Bhagyaraj) told me about this project and asked me if I would be interested.”
Even though he may not be new to the world of cricket, the setting is still new for the actor. “Blue Star is set near Arakkonam in the late-90s. Even though the film does not delve too deeply into the sport itself, we still show a world of cricket that revolves around cork ball matches.” Talking about his character in Blue Star, Prithvi elaborates, “I play Ashok Selvan’s brother in the film named Sam. He is a nineteen-year-old kid who is impulsive and full of energy but a good person at heart. His relationship with his elder brother was interesting to me because they get into fights constantly but they still love each other.” He adds, “Sam has a girlfriend in the film, played by Dhivya Duraisamy. This is ‘puppy love’ and Sam is a wide-eyed hopeless romantic when it comes to relationships.”
On whether he had any insecurities about playing a supporting role in a multi-starrer, Prithvi’s confidence shines through in his reply: “I play a pivotal role in the film and I am really confident that my character will stay in the minds of the audience long after the credits roll. Not just me, but both Shanthnu and Ashok have worked hard for this film and I am sure people will recognise our efforts.”
With Blue Star gearing up for release this Thursday, Prithvi will next be seen in Mysskin’s film, Train, in which he will be sharing screen space with Vijay Sethupathi.