These last few days, Ajith has been overjoyed,
as Attagaasam is doing well at the box-office. He, who had decided to divide his time
between racing and acting before, has now taken
the decision to devote the whole of time to
cinema. For the next two years, he’s going to be
busy acting with the most renowned and the most
succesful directors of Tamil cinema.
We met him on the shooting spot of the film
Godfather, which is directed by K.S. Ravikumar
and which is to be released on Tamil New Year’s
Day.
Ajith answered with enthusiasm to our questions
:
Why did you decide to
give up racing to devote the whole of your time
to your acting career?
On behalf of the 10 Million people who are
living in India, I took part in the car race
which
took place in China. I returned to the country
after having come third in this race. Nobody
cared about it. This is an ungrateful world.
What would you like to
become in the Tamil cinema industry ? What is
your ambition ?
My wish is to reach the Number One position. And
I have all the required qualities for that.
It seems that you don’t
wish to act in different get-ups anymore, as you
already did before in Citizen…
Fans are expecting me to do specific get-ups.
The best thing, for me, to do is to understand
these expectations and to come up to these
expectations. That’s what I have decided to do.
In some places, the
situation between your fans and Vijay’s fans has
worsen to such a degree that confrontations are
taking place between the two groups. What’s your
opinion on this ?
All that I wish is that my fans as well as
myself, we could all be well. That’s what I have
been telling to my fans from the beginning. I
wish them to take care of their families and to
reach a respectable position within the society.
That’s all I wish.
What are the
repercussions that the success of the directors
turned actors have on top actors like you ?
It has no repercussion. People alone can judge.
It’s for them to decide. As long as it will be
in this way, anybody can try his luck as an
actor. To get nervous thinking about it is just
like looking at ourselves in a mirror and being
frightened of our own reflection. This is a «
Give and Take » relationship. Conversely, many
actors have become successful directors. Raj
Kapoor is a fine example of it. Here, we have
Kamal Sir.
You are the first one
to have been approached to act in films like
Nandaa or New. These films have become
blockbusters afterwards. Do you regret not
having acted in these films ?
Not at all. I believe that everyone gets what
fate have decided to give him. I’m not the kind
to mope thinking of every thing I didn’t get.
Kadaykaalam and Madurai
in Red, Toottukudy, Thiruchendoor and
Kanniyakumary in Attagaasam and now Kumbakohnam
in Ji. Many of your films have been shot in
local areas of India. There, you have the
opportunity to meet your fans. Is your ambitions
to make your popularity rating increase in small
towns and in villages ?
More than the youths of big cities, it’s those
who are living in small towns and in villages
who make the Tamil Cinema live. So, to go and
meet them is a good thing to do.
Rebelling against the
political system or dreaming of taking the place
of the Prime Minister… Some heroes, in some of
their films, are creating an excessively «
magnified » image for themselves. Is it possible
to have another M.G.R. in Tamil ?
So far, three actors from Tamil Cinema have
become Prime Ministers. Their success in
politics is not only due to the fact that they
have been from the cinema industry. First, they
have created their political parties, they have
worked hard. Then, they have been chosen as
leaders of their parties. After that only, did
people made Prime Ministers of them.
In my opinion, the duty of actors and actresses
is to give entertainement to people. All the
fields need politicians’ help to function.
Whatever the government is, artists have to make
do. They have to be everybody’s men in politics.
We must keep our political views to ourselves.
But some artists are making no secret of their
political convictions. This can be harmful to
the cinema industry. If you like such or such
politician, then, vote for him, join his party
and try to do your best for people. And you can
also continue your career as an actor at the
same time. People won’t be disturbed in any way.
There’s no harm in wishing to enter politics.
It’s for people to decide if you deserve to have
a place there.
You seem to have a
quite precise idea on this question. Why don’t
you consider entering politics ?
I am already in politics : I do my duty as a
citizen by voting in every election which is
taking place. As far the question concerning the
person I have chosen to vote for, I wish to keep
the secret. But you are asking about hard-liner
politics. Today, all those who are longing to
enter politics are essantially looking for three
things : the « Top One » reason is that they see
politics as a way to earn lots of money. Then,
comes the desire to get a high post and become a
person of influence. The wish to serve people
only comes last. Among those who have entered
politics with the aim of beginning to serve the
country, we have people like M.G.R. Jaya Lalitha
and Karunathee. Nobody can carve out a place in
politics for himself without deserving it. I
can’t consider entering politics for the moment.
Because I’m too young for it. And I don’t have
any experience. It’s not for me to wish to enter
politics. People have to wish to make me a
politician.
I am not keeping clear of politics. I have
nothing against it. It’s thanks to politics that
the situation of our country can be improved and
that poverty can be removed. But that’s not a
reason to create hundreds of political parties.
We couldn’t see the end of it.
You can be a born politician. You can’t become
one.
Ajith shows his claws, Ajith revolts … Some of
your interviews, which are published under such
titles, are extremely « hot ». How can it be
explained ?
I don’t know ! I am just remaining myself.
That’s all ! I’m not pretending. I have no
ennemy in the cinema industry. If I weren’t as I
am today, everybody would have hammered me. I
have no Godfather or somebody to « guide » me,
here. I have to take every of my decisions on my
own. Sometimes, some of my decisions are proving
to be the wrong ones. But, sometimes, my
mistakes are teaching me some lessons. « Live
and let live! ». That’s my policy. I’m not going
to let anybody stand in my way. I’m just like an
open book. You don’t need a dictionnary to read
me. But nobody has the right to teach me how to
live my life. Even if it’s a close relation,
it’s the same thing. I wish to keep a little bit
distance. This is not arrogance or Dadaism.
Everyone needs some privacy. I won’t let anybody
bring this right of mine into question.
Journalists « embellish » what I say during my
interviews when they put it down on paper,
writing that Ajith revolts. That’s called the
freedom of the press. I don’t see anything wrong
in it.
It’s like giving a punching title to a film. It
comes to the same thing. Those who just content
themselves with reading only the title of the
interview may think there’s something wrong in
it. There’s no use worryng about it.
Some people say you don’t know holding back your
words…
I am not saying to be a nice person or a saint.
But I am somebody who tells straight out what I
think. I don’t know keeping my thoughts to
myself. I’m like an open book. It doesn’t
present any danger for the society. Danger is
from those who don’t tell what they are thinking
to the face, who keep saying nothing.
Why do you always talk about yourself in
superiority terms ?
There’s no harm in saying that I’m a bright man.
I had to fight to reach the position which is
mine today. To be recognized as a successful
person after having overcome a good many
difficulties is only possible if you show a
great brightness, in this ungrateful world.
There’s no doubt in it.
Don’t you scare to convey a bad image of
yourself by talking like this ?
That’s true. Some people are calling me a
pretentious guy or an arrogant guy. But my heart
is pure.
Who is supporting you in difficult moments,
giving you the force to move ahead in life ?
First, my fans. Then, my family, among which is
my wife Shalini. They leave me free to take my
decisions by myself, without interfering in it.
This freedom is one of the reasons for my
success.
Why didn’t you take part in the ceremony which
was organized by the whole of the Tamil Cinema
Industry in honour of the Tamil Prime Minister ?
I have alredy announced that, apart from Award
ceremonies, I won’t take part in any other
ceremony, and particularly in political ones.
How do you stand on the measure which has been
taken to fight against pirate VCDs ?
I am extremely grateful to the Prime Minister
for having taken this action. These words are
coming from my heart ! Since this measure has
been adopted, cinema theaters are filling up
again.
You have acted in the Hindi film. Ashoka. Do you
consider acting in other foreign films ?
It’s Tamil Cinema which made an actor of me. I
wish to act in none other films but in Tamil
ones.
In your opinion, what has been your contribution
to Tamil Cinema ?
I think that, as an actor, I have to fulfill a
mission : to awake people’s consciences and make
them open their eyes. I’ll do everything that is
in my power to succeed in it.
What has this Cinema world taught you so far ?
First, the most important is to have
self-confidence. It’s essential to have
confidence in ourselves, in our talent. We must
demonstrate our talent through the roles we are
being given. Without worrying about what others
could say on us. Our fans are our bosses. Our
success in the Tamil Cinema depends on them.
First, we have to show that we are existing, and,
then, we have to get ready to fight in order to
be recognized as a sucessful artist. We have to
struggle. Cinema is like a wild jungle. We have
to struggle a lot if we want to take the Lion’s
place in this jungle. I love competition. So,
I’ll fight to the bitter end, until victory.
There’s no doubt about it.
What about the films you are acting in, at the
moment ?
There’s Ji, which is directed by Lingusamy. It
will be released on Pongal. Then, I am acting in
K.S. Ravikumar’s Godfather. It will be released
on Tamil New Year’s Day And I have been
approached to act in a film wich is directed by
Bala and in another one of Selvaraagavan.
Discussions are taking place for these two
films.
Translated by
Kavitha
Source:
Kalaymaamani Ajith
January 2005
|