Sivakarthikeyan: I would have rejected Amaran if it was just about a mission

People in the army often talk about how a career in the armed forces is more than just a job; it is a lifestyle. In order to capture that lifestyle in a realistic manner, the makers of Amaran have gone to extraordinary lengths. Actor Sivakarthikeyan, who portrays Major Mukund Varadarajan in the film, speaks about how it was surreal to be on the sets. "We shot in the place Mukund sir was stationed. Every day, we had to travel by road to the location, through Pulwama. Inside the dormitories, there were several AK 47 guns propped up against the wall. We once shot a scene where I was lying on the bed and I rolled over to see grenades. It was a completely new experience for all of us but for the officers, it was their everyday life," he says. While a significant portion of the scenes were shot in sensitive areas, the actor reveals that the Amaran crew was given a three-layer protection. He added, "We shot in Kashmir for three months and our director Rajkumar Periasamy was uncompromising with his vision for a realistic film."

On the topic of realism, the actor also had to imbibe the characteristics of Major Mukund. Sivakarthikeyan says, "I met Mukund sir's senior in Mumbai to learn about him. He was not your stereotypical military officer who was strict and stoic. He seemed to have been a person who liked to have fun." The actor also found him relatable. "This is not a story about one particular mission. Amaran captures the life journey of Mukund sir. He lived in Tambaram and came from a middle-class family. His mother had inhibitions about him joining the army. Everything about him is relatable," he says. The actor then goes on to confess that he would have never taken up the role if the film was about one mission. "Amaran is the emotional journey of a soldier and that is what made me choose the project," he says. Apart from the incredible life journey of Major Mukund, Sivakarthikeyan also realised that a film like Amaran could break his limitations and help explore his range as a performer. "Rajkumar didn't want any of my strengths for this film," he says, before adding, "Instead, he wanted me to bring to the table my ability to connect with the audience."

With Sivakarthikeyan's strengths being humour and the ability to shine in lighthearted boy-next-door roles, one could surmise that the director was looking to extract an emotionally intense performance. Sivakarthikeyan elaborates on the emotional heft of the film, "Mukund sir's story is well known and we have seen films like this before in Hindi and in English. But Rajkumar has tried his best to give a different treatment to the story, he has added a small change. However, this is an emotionally heavy film." When asked about the reception from the army officers, Sivakarthikeyan recounts the first day of shooting. "When we first met the army officers, I thought they would be excited but they were not. They told me military films often exaggerate a lot and that they rarely like them. I felt a bit dejected then. We got a lot of feedback from them but I did not want to make false promises. A few days ago, we held a screening, which was attended by everyone from jawans to army chief's. They were very happy and told me it felt like they were watching themselves," says a visibly excited Sivakarthikeyan.

Speaking about the feedback from his producer Kamal Haasan, the actor reveals, "I was happy to know that he liked the film. He said, 'We have done our job to perfection. Now, it is all up to the audience.'" Before signing on to Amaran, Kamal Haasan had congratulated Sivakarthikeyan for producing an experimental film like Kottukkaali. On whether he would act in a film like Kottukkaali, the actor lightheartedly replies, "You saw how they treated Kottukkaali." He then elaborates on why he doesn't think it is a good idea. "I was very clear about not exceeding 120 screens for Kottukkaali. We kept the marketing within social media. While the mainstream audience left disappointed, as for the audience we were targeting, it was a success. We achieved 70 per cent of what we wanted for the film. Hopefully, someday, someone might achieve 100 per cent success out of an experimental film," he signs off.