
Some collaborations in cinema transcend the confines of professionalism and evolve into genuine camaraderie. Such is the bond between director Vishnu Varadhan and actor Akash Murali. During our conversation for Nesippaya, their chemistry was palpable, filled with easy banter and unfiltered laughter. Vishnu Varadhan keeps pulling Akash’s leg with lighthearted quips. “He's more comfortable doing romance with me,” he jokes, while Akash grins in response.
It makes one wonder if the mutual admiration they have for each other was what made Akash power through his nervousness on the first day of shoot for his debut film. “Everything became quiet. I froze, and was almost numb,” Akash recalls, as Vishnu adds, “It became so quiet that he couldn’t even hear me talk.” It was a simple reassurance from the director which eventually helped him. “It took me five minutes to calm down. Of course, Vishnu Varadhan sir made the environment comfortable for me,” says Akash. The filmmaker paints a contrasting picture when asked about his first day on the sets of his debut as a child actor, in Mani Ratnam's Anjali (1990). "As a child, my biggest motivation was the promise of a samosa and Frooti. They’d give us clear instructions, and all we had to do was follow them,” he shares, further giving an anecdote from the experience. “I remember delivering a dialogue with all the flair I could muster, only to be told by Mani sir, 'Dei, nadikkaadhey da!' I was baffled—why would he ask me not to act after calling me for exactly that,” he laughs.
With Nesippaya being his first film, Akash not only had the anxiety of delivering his best performance but also channelling his inner romantic hero. The actor shares his inspiration for getting into the romantic zone. “I watched Varanam Aayiram and took Suriya sir's performance as an inspiration for my character,” he reveals. Akash then goes on to explain what made intimacy and romance challenging for him. “I was worried about accidentally crossing boundaries while doing intimate scenes. But Aditi made me extremely comfortable,” he says, even as Vishnu interrupts him to add, “He is a true gentleman. So, he wasn’t able to fake it for the screen.”
With Tamil cinema struggling with the romance genre in the last few years, Vishnu points to how Nesippaya is not a predictable romance. “In any love story, a boy meets a girl, complications arise, and despite the hurdles, they eventually find their way back to each other. What makes a love story stand out is how unique and engaging the characters and conflicts are," he says, before getting into specific details about his film, "For Nesippaya, I’ve crafted contrasting characters. But when they try to reconcile after a breakup, the chaos in their lives creates obstacles, which makes the journey all the more intriguing. The layers of complications woven into their story are what set it apart,” he explains.
While crafting a story around contemporary relationships, a filmmaker might have to consider relatability. However, Vishnu says that the emotion behind love is the same, irrespective of the generation the love story represents. “Human emotions remain constant across generations, but the way people respond to situations have evolved over time. Even today, there are those who value relationships and live by strong principles, while others may live without any sense of ethics. Regardless of their outlook on life, when someone encounters true love, they inevitably realise its significance. Even a person with an ‘I don’t care’ attitude will, at some point, regret missing out on the experience of true love,” says Vishnu.
Ever since the project was announced, there have been criticisms of nepotism directed at Akash's casting. Vishnu, not the least baffled by the criticism, says, "While Akash is Murali sir’s son and Atharvaa’s brother, he is his own person, distinct from them, and he has to prove himself. The pressure to prove one’s worth is the same, regardless of one’s background." Akash, on the other hand, says creating an identity for himself is the least of his concerns. “While I don’t think too much about how to create an identity for myself, I am conscious not to tarnish the names of my father and brother,” he reveals. On the double-edged nature of social media and its discussions around films, Vishnu says, “Times change, and as filmmakers, we must adapt to new media. Today, everyone’s a reviewer, but true, constructive criticism has become rare. While reviewing is an exercise of free speech, it’s essential to approach it with some civic sense.”
Looking forward, Vishnu says The Bull with Salman Khan is indefinitely pushed. “There were plans to make a film with Kamal Haasan sir multiple times, but somehow it didn’t pan out. Let’s see if it happens in the future,” says Vishnu. Akash, on the other hand, says, “I’m open to any and every good opportunity that comes my way.” The actor goes on to reveal his dream roles, “I want to explore a role like Arya sir’s in Pattiyal or Karthi sir’s in Paruthiveeran.”