Tharunam actor Kishen Das: I feel small films still have big audience in today’s times

For upcoming actor Kishen Das, who is awaiting the release of Tharunam, he understands how the field of entertainment has changed to stage where now he finds himself as his competition from different medium. For Kishen, who is active on social media, regularly puts up videos on his YouTube channel, and also acts in films, acknowledges that his competition to grab the audience’s time is not only other films, but also the content he put up on social media.

“I think years back, there was this concept of television stars and the myth that they cannot make into films, so the ones in films had their spots secure. But now, I don’t know whom to compete with, if I am competing with an actor who is of my age and experience, a content creator, podcaster or YouTuber, or even myself when people can watch my content for free. In today age, I want people buy into me, the idea of me and being a personality. If they want to see me in a fictional space, they can watch in films, or laugh and know me, tune into my podcast and digital content,” Kishen elaborate, as he mentions all he is trying to achieve is earn the trust of people that if he is associated with something, it would not be a waste of people’s time.

Kishen Das Interview for Tharunam

Having all said and done, even as Kishen Das wants to be predominantly known as an actor, he acknowledges that he still has to reach to that space. With the idea to balance both presently, the actor says, “I don’t think it is too much of my choice now, and more on what comes my way. I am very conscious on what films I take up and it is very little now. I cannot entirely sustain on films right now. But my visiting card two years later, I would want it to be just an actor.”

After doing coming of age drama Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee, and horror thriller Sync as lead, Kishen Das will be next seen in romantic thriller Tharunam due to release on January 14. “The first half of the film falls under romance genre, and second half has a shift, which made me take up the project. Before Tharunam, I was in a space where I would do a film only when it is 100% what I want, but later realised I cannot do that and should trust everyone else, and their sensibilities over mine. So, Tharunam was that kind of film for me,” he answers to what made him choose the film.

Also read: Kishen Das wraps up shooting for psychological emotional drama Eerapadham Kaatru Mazhai 

‘Tharunam is a commercial film with genre shift’

Kishen Das iterates how Tharunam falls under the category of commercial films where there is a little bit of everything. Confessing himself to being a foodie, Kishen Das draws parallel between Tharunam and a buffet spread, where there is a little bit of everything. “It has a got a commercial plating, but different genres. It is not experimental in anyway because we doing the genre shift in the tried and tested way.”

For the young actor, it is a constant battle between trusting the filmmaker or the material. “Sometimes, I have trusted the material, but it has not gone well with the sensibilities, while I trust the director and the material backfires. So, I am constantly trying to balance both,” he adds.

Further reiterating, Kishen Das feels that he likes to take up something that gets his interest and hooks him, while in the longer run, he mentions, “I don’t want to be a star, but make nice and honest films. From today to a foreseeable future, I want to make small films that are interesting, and believe they still have good audience.”

Also read: Sync review: Convincing performances from lead actors make this a passable horror thriller

Back to Tharunam, the young actor says he thought it is not a film he thought he could do this early into his career. “I don’t know if it will work for the audience, but I play a CRPF officer, so to imagine myself in that character was different. But it was just about being trimmed and agile, and I took it up. More than the emotions, it has dance sequences, action blocks, and brisk outlook, which I usually don’t have, made me realise maybe I am undermining myself. That is the biggest takeaway from Tharunam.”

Kishen Das, who also makes digital content on films, throws in his perspective of how films can get consumed in the growing social media space now. “It usually happens with bigger films and stars. There is a huge ecosystem around this, many media channels whose livelihood depends on covering these movies. So, when a big star movie is out, that is the only content which sells, and obviously there are conversations around it. If you ask me, in the last 2-3, the only film which had minimal hype to its advantage, was Thiruchitrambalam. I could just go and enjoy the film, and Dhanush sir was keen not to promote.” He concludes the conversation by asking the audience that they should simply enjoy the film while it lasts.