PremiumVasanth Ravi on Weapon: Glad I got a fantasy action film early in my career | Exclusive
Tamil actor Vasanth Ravi is eagerly awaiting the release of his new film, Weapon
Last Updated: 02.30 PM, Jun 06, 2024
Actor Vasanth Ravi, known for his dark and gritty films, recently made a detour in the form of a light-hearted romantic comedy, Pon Ondru Kanden. But he is back in the genre with his upcoming film Weapon, as Vasanth gears up for its release on June 7.
Not new to films that are high on intensity, Vasanth Ravi pairs up with veteran actor Sathyaraj in Weapon, which is helmed by Guhan Seniappan. A hotelier, 7 years ago, Vasanth Ravi took a daring step to change gears and become an actor.
“I think it was my patience that brought me to this stage. In my seven-year-long film journey, I understood that patience is my biggest strength. I entered the industry in 2017 with Taramani. There were delays in the releases of Taramani and Rocky and had I lost my patience, then things would have ended for me,” says Vasanth in a chat with OTTplay.
About Weapon
Having aced the genre that delves into the dark crevices of the human psyche, how different will Weapon be for him? “If we speak of genres, there are really only two: lighthearted and dark. The whole world is divided into positives and negatives, light and dark. In the same way, you can have comedy, drama, and action in both light and dark films. Weapon is somewhere in the zone of Batman and X-Men. It is a dark, superhuman story with sci-fi elements. Guhan gave me references to certain characters from such comics for my character, the attitude and the body language he wanted,” the actor answers.
Vasanth says that for all his films, including Weapon and the upcoming Indra, he gets into the groove of his characters using the attire that directors have created for him. “I want to fit into the vision of the filmmakers and when I go into the sets of the film, I expect magic to concoct with our collaboration. I feel it happens when I take in all their input and try to deliver through my performance. I think it is something beyond us.”
Vasanth, who has been doing only one film at a time so far, has recently been on multiple film sets simultaneously. He says it took him a while to get used to it, but eventually was able to. Adding to this, he says, “During the olden days, they were able to adapt and even the shooting days were shorter. Today, things have changed and the way we approach performing has also changed. We think about researching and preparing for our roles. I think last year, I was shooting for Weapon, Jailer and Pon Ondru Kanden, and patchwork for Asvins was going on. I was able to learn a lot and as much you make it easy as an actor to fit into the sets, it becomes a swift process. It is something you get with experience.”
Weapon, a fantasy film
When Weapon's script first came to Vasanth Ravi, he knew that it would be a fantasy film with Sathyaraj. “It has been a while since we saw a fantasy action in Tamil. So, when I was approached for the movie, my first thoughts were about how strong the script is and how much of Guhan’s vision would translate into the film when the audience watches it. Once I heard him out, I was convinced, but I also wanted to know how he would handle the action portions technically. The CGI work should be convincing and these kinds of films rely heavily on the post-production work,” he adds.
Vasanth adds that more than the actors, it is the back-end workers who have a lot to do in shaping a film. He is also all praise for the director’s clear vision. “It will be a one-of-a-kind fantasy action film.”
Wanting to try out a variety of genres, Vasanth Ravi ends the conversation by saying that he aspires to do period romantic dramas or full-fledged war films.