Srikanth: I am done with action thrillers for now 

Actor Srikanth is fresh off his 22nd anniversary in the film industry, which with a beautiful tinge of synchronicity, also happened on the 22nd of February, the day when his first film, Roja Kootam, hit the theatres. Reflecting on his colourful filmography, dotted with films from a wide variety of stories, Srikanth says, “My career graph looks more like an ECG graph, with such highs and lows,” he chuckles. He then travels back in time to the beginning. “I come from a humble, middle-class family with no backing and I have been through it all in the film industry. Whether my films are good or bad, right or wrong, they have all been my decisions and I have made my peace with the impermanence of it all, both the successes and failures.”

Some say, with experience comes weariness and indifference. However, Srikanth says his years of observing the film industry have only reinforced his optimism. He explains, “When an actor proves that he is capable of doing good performances, time is never a constraint. A project may or may not work but once the audience sees your potential, they will always remember it and when the right project lands, they will never fail to celebrate you.” The actor goes on to assert his belief in the saying, ‘What is destined for you will reach you no matter what’. “If I didn’t believe in that, I wouldn’t have worked on a film like Nanban,” he says. Even though Nanban might have been a great working experience as he describes, one wonders if an actor like Srikanth, who is known for playing the lead role in multiple films, feels restrained by being part of an ensemble. “It is quite the opposite,” he asserts. “Being part of an ensemble cast makes you all the more competitive. You want to be noticed, and with a director like Shankar sir, and exceptionally talented stars like Vijay, Jiiva, and Sathyaraj sir, you want to give your all in. Apart from the fact that ensembles are good for the business, it also creates a healthy environment for an actor because unless you give your best you will not be noticed.” 

On healthy competitions, Srikanth says, “I have acted with Natty in my upcoming film, Sambavam. You would have seen him playing a ruthless cop in Karnan. Here he does something different. It was great working with him.” The actor says he is also playing against type in his upcoming film, Satham Indri Mutham Tha. “I am very happy with the film. Director Rajdev is making his debut with the film and he did not disappoint. Satham Indri… has some of the best action sequences I have done in my career.” Describing the film as a ‘pacy thriller’, Srikanth says that he chose to do the film because of how impressed he was with the climax. “When Rajdev came to me with the script, seeing as how he was older and mature, I expected something like a family drama. I was completely surprised when he handed me an action-packed thriller. I guess the lesson here is to not jump to conclusions.” Srikanth says that his character in the film is an assassin whose identity remains mysterious until the very end. “We are introduced to him as Karthik but that identity quickly crumbles. For most of the film, they call him the ghost.” 

Although Srikanth is satisfied with his upcoming thriller film, the actor says he yearns for those relatable, boy-next-door roles, that cemented his career in the early years, in films like April Madhathil, Parthiban Kanavu, and Poo. “I miss doing characters like those. I think I am done with action thrillers for now. There are times when the scripts which come your way are mostly of the same genre and there is very little you can do about that. But now, I am making a conscious effort to navigate towards character-oriented films. I have heard a couple of interesting Tamil scripts which are set in small towns and have relatable characters.” As they say, life comes full circle and It is only natural that Srikanth is kickstarting the next phase of his career by going back to the roots.