Youth actor Suraj Venjaramoodu: Big screens offer an experience no other medium can match | EXCLUSIVE

After last year’s Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2, it is the latest Tamil film Youth, actor Suraj Venjaramoodu is seen in Tamil. Known for his work in Malayalam cinema, Suraj plays a parent in Ken Karunaas’ directorial and starrer Youth, a coming-of-age drama running in theatres right now.

Suraj Venjaramoodu Interview: What Youth actor says about Ken Karunaas?

“When Ken had come down to Kerala to narrate the story, he performed every character with the required emotions. It was the first time I heard such a narration. He was like Anniyan, who was on fire and had made me feel I was watching a film. In fact, his narration had re-recording too. I was able to watch the full film and now when I see it, Youth has come out bigger than we expected,” Suraj says in conversation with OTTplay.

Even as Suraj was sceptical if he wanted to work with a newcomer filmmaker like Ken, the actor mentions that it was the latter’s confidence, that made Suraj take up the project. “I see myself in him. In my early stages, someone had given me a chance, and it is my turn to do so. He had also taken so much efforts to reach me out,” he adds. Suraj says that Youth is a film that is for all, across generations and not just for youngsters and teenagers. In the film.

What is Suraj Venjaramoodu’s process?

Having worked predominantly in Malayalam cinema and variety of roles, Youth is only the second Tamil film Suraj is starring in. Is there a difference in his approach when the film’s language changes? He answers, “The approach towards a character is same and the source is the script. I should know the background of the role. Like for example, in Youth, my character is a Malayali. The approach is same to all characters, but I take the emotions and approach of that language from the observations and setting it is based on.”

Amid the plethora of content that is flooding the entertainment space in today’s times; from social media reels, long videos, OTT content and films; Suraj upholds cinema and movies as the highest form of entertainment. “Cinema is always different. Theatres give you an experience, while other forms of medium can only make you watch a content. Big screens have the special power to make you experience a story,” Suraj says.

How Suraj Venjaramoodu sees his learnings?

Suraj has done it all, be it being an outright villain in Veera Dheeran Sooran, a character that is loathed in The Great Indian Kitchen, a protagonist in Android Kunjappan, or being part of a star ensemble in L2 Empuraan and supporting character in Youth. He says that an actor should explore everything and grab every role to do their best. “I am still learning and there is lots to do. Acting is a continuous process.”

The actor who has been in the industry for over 20 years, says that he is still learning. “For example, if I am doing a Malayalam film and I know everything about the story, I can say a dialogue or improvise on spot. But in Tamil, I have to learn the language, there is preparation time needed between scenes and learn the knacks. While in Malayalam, I want scenes to be shot without gaps, in Tamil, I need some time between them.”

Up next in Tamil itself, Suraj has three films announced; Dhanush’s Kara, Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer 2, and Aishwarya Rajinikanth directorial Texla. “All my characters in Tamil that I have acted are different to each other, which is why I am also looking forward to choose a variety of roles.” As the actor is in field for over 20 years, Suraj says that even as technology changes over time, the emotions have remained the same throughout.