Jiiva: Audiences want me to choose unique scripts again

Actor Jiiva and producer SR Prabhu speak about their upcoming film, Black, its ambiguous genre, releasing alongside Rajinikanth’s Vettaiyan, Jiiva’s script choices, and more
Jiiva: Audiences want me to choose unique scripts again
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Actor Jiiva has largely stayed away from the thriller genre. Interestingly, even the few thrillers he has been a part of, have gained a following over the years — Be it Raam (2005), Kattradhu Thamizh (2007) or Ko (2011). Close on the heels of another thriller, Black's release—which is directed by debutant KG Balasubramani—Jiiva reveals he was fascinated by the script from the get-go. “I don’t generally sign up for thrillers as there is an obvious reveal at the end on who is behind a certain incident. We tend to lose out on repeat audiences that way. But, the second half of Black is completely mind-boggling. I remember watching the German series Dark during the pandemic. This story would be in a similar genre.”

According to the makers, the title, Black, refers to the dark of the night as well as the dark side of humans. SR Prabhu elaborates on this, adding, “It is only during a difficult situation that we truly witness our inner thoughts—be it good or bad. What the protagonists do and what decisions they take when they are in such a dark place forms the crux of the story.” While the trailer for the film revealed the genre, it left the audience curious as the plot of the film still remains a mystery. Producer SR Prabhu says, “Since there is a genre shift in the middle of the film, we didn’t want to reveal too much in the trailer." Jiiva pitches in and mentions, “Instead of naming the film Black, they could have named it ‘confusing’ because the climax is ambiguous. If you take Endrendrum Punnagai (2013), we shot four climaxes and didn’t know which one would make it to the film. In the same way, Siva Manasula Sakthi (2009) had three climaxes. Thenavattu (2008) began with the climax, which was unique for that time. Similarly, we didn’t know where Black started or ended,” he shares, assuring that it would keep the audience guessing throughout its runtime. SR Prabhu adds, “Every person coming out of the theatre would have their own interpretation of what transpired in the film. It would be debatable as well as interesting to watch.”

 Black is an official remake of a Hollywood film. Although the makers didn’t reveal the name of the original, it is expected to be a mind-bending thriller with elements of science fiction in it. Jiiva plays an IT professional who, along with Priya Bhavani Shankar's character, takes a getaway to their unoccupied plot on the outskirts of Chennai, where the mysterious events take place. With audiences increasingly exposed to various thrillers, Jiiva notes that they are more open to unique ideas. "Earlier, people would tell me I was acting in films across different genres, and then I shifted towards more commercial projects. Now, audiences are once again asking me why I'm not doing films with unique scripts," he laughs.

Black releases just a day after Rajinikanth’s highly-anticipated Vettaiyan. The pressure is inevitable, but the producer as well as the actor are quite unfazed about it. “We get the necessary attention when we are releasing alongside a big film,” says Jiiva. The film also marks Jiiva’s full-fledged feature film in Tamil since 2022. Explaining the break, he says, “There are tons of investments made on heroes now. I used to do one film every year or so. My dad also restricts me. He advises me not to choose films that would bring losses to producers.”

Despite coming from a film production background, Jiiva likes to stay distant and concentrate only on acting. “It is best to stay without interfering with the director. Sometimes, we are also taken by surprise when the final output releases on screen,” he says. Jiiva’s recent post on X (formerly Twitter) had a YouTube link where the entirety of Kattradhu Tamil was uploaded. 17 years after its release, Jiiva is elated that the film continues to spark discussions. “People are relating to it now more than ever. People in the interior regions of Tamil Nadu are relating to the life that we experienced in the city 15 years ago,” he says.

Speaking about a recent controversy, Jiiva says, “Recently, when I was in an accident, one of the onlookers asked me if they could take a selfie and said, ‘Oru quarter sollen’. Even during such a tense moment, some of them don’t know how to talk,” he recalls. “I snatched the phone away since he was invading my privacy. I gave it back to him when he requested me to give it back, apologising for the same. But, the incident went viral online." Reflecting on the ensuing controversy, Jiiva shares his insight on the incident, “Although we used to enjoy the attention in the beginning, it has taken another form altogether. Audiences can now zoom into a celebrity’s life closer than ever. So, I prefer to stay away from the public eye.”

On which of his films he would like to do a sequel to, the actor enthusiastically shares, “Everyone is anticipating a second part for Siva Manasula Sakthi, but I am curious to know how M Rajesh would write it. I would also love for a sequel to (2006). Since SP Jananathan sir is no more, we need to form a team to work on it."

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