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on 2008/1/27 3:20:40
You don�t really need to understand the language to watch a film like Billa, in which the action truly speaks louder than words. So there I was, sitting in Chennai�s Sathyam theatre, watching my third Tamil film � the first being Kandukondain Kandukondain, which made me an Ajith fan and which overwhelmed me so much that I packed my bags to come to Chennai; and the second being the gory Pudupettai, which I was forced to watch by a Tamil movie-addict colleague because she could not find anyone else to accompany her.
Throughout Billa, my attention remained focussed on the tall man who played a Malaysian cop called Anil Menon � for two reasons. One , he kept the audience guessing till the end whether he was the real crook in the garb of a suave policemen. Two, I know the guy in real life: we have spent countless evenings together over drinks, discussing God and gadgets, wine and women, life and love; but never ever movies.
I mean I knew Adithya was into movies, playing the villain, but that was immaterial. For me he has been a friend who is an engineer by qualification but whose passion is acting, who has enough magic tricks up his sleeve to impress women in parties, and who can give you a long discourse on atheism or the origin of mankind � in case you are in the mood. After watching Billa, I decided to pin him down about his acting.
�I am told that when Vishnu Vardhan (the director of Billa) started writing the story, he had me in mind. It is an honour for me to be part of a film that has the who�s who of film industry,� says Adithya, who made his debut with Ajith�s Anjaneya in 2003. Anjaneya was followed by Madhavan-starrer JJ, where he plays the heroine�s menacing brother. Roles then started pouring in for Malayalam films � Mambazhakalam (with Mohan Lal), Ben Johnson (with Kalabhavan Mani, in which Adithya plays a 60-year-old man) and Bus Conductor (with Mammootty) being most memorable for him.
But it was Vishnu Vardhan who first got him to play the good guy in Arindhum Ariyamalum, in which his role was widely recognised. The movie became a hit, and it wasn�t surprising that Vishnu cast him for Billa. �Vishnu�s thoughts are international in nature and he knows how to exploit the visual medium. You can have the best surgical knife but you need a good surgeon to perform an operation. Vishnu�s energy levels are so high that there was never a dull moment on the sets, no matter what time we were shooting. His enthusiasm is infectious,� says Adithya of the director.
When I ask him if he has any special episodes to share from the shooting of Billa, most of which took place in Malaysia, he says, �Every day was special. It�s very difficult to single out any event. We had an international action director who had assisted Jackie Chan, so you can imagine. The work culture was so different.� But he remembers how scary it was to walk on a suspension bridge 600 m high, and that Ajith actually jumped off that bridge. �Ajith�s dedication to work is completely mind-blowing. Humility is something you should learn from him,� says Billa�s �Anil Menon�.
The shooting of Billa also earned him a father-figure: actor Prabhu, who plays his superior in the film. �He has become such a dear person. He can guide you so well. Now whenever I need advice or hand-holding, I know he is there.�
I am tempted to ask Adithya about his forthcoming films, but I let it be. It is so much fun to watch his magic tricks and to discuss God and gadgets and the origin of mankind with him. Given his versatility in real life, I have no doubts about his skills as an actor on the reel.
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