Filmmaker-turned-actor Karu Pazhaniappan explains why he's happy to play a villain

Actor-director Karu Pazhaniappan, who played the antagonist in K Thamaraiselvan's recently-released Nadhi, said he readily agreed to play the villain when the film's director hesitantly approached him for the role.

Karu Pazhaniappan, who has acted as a hero in Tamil films, said, "The director, while narrating the script, was a little hesitant to ask me if I would play a negative role. Little did he know that I was on the lookout for antagonist roles as it gives me space to perform. A villain's character can talk without any restrictions, whereas the hero comes with limitations."

Karu Pazhaniappan went on to say that what he liked the most about director Thamaraiselvan was that he has neatly completed the movie without any confusion and with clarity.

Urging the producer of the film to again work with the director, Karu Pazhaniappan said, "I request the crew to kickstart their next project immediately after the success of this movie. Anandhi has given a fabulous performance in Nadhi. Her character is so unique that it will be appreciated. This is going to be a movie that will be recognised by audiences from all categories."

Nadhi, a commercial entertainer, which had a theatrical release recently, features Sam Jones and Kayal Anandhi in the lead roles. This one revolves around the concept of love and friendship, besides dealing with social issues prevailing in the world today.

Pazhaniappan, as a filmmaker, is not afraid to experiment with different genres. Palaniappan, despite being a film buff, had no idea about directing. His father, PL Chinna Karuppiah, recognised his son's talent and encouraged him to try his hand at directing. "My father used to give me money without hesitation for two reasons: to buy books and to go to the movies. He is otherwise a strict disciplinarian. When I finished my post-graduate studies, I had no idea what to do next. My father encouraged me to try something new at the time, and he was the one who suggested going to the movies. He stated that at the age of 21, I should not be committed to anything. He refused to let me join him in the family business. But he gave me five years to prove myself," Palaniappan recalled in an interview.

His first film as an assistant director was Pullakuttikaran. Pazhaniappan an avid reader, once considered becoming a librarian. "I was inspired by my college's massive library. I wondered why I couldn't become a librarian. I was ecstatic at the prospect of being paid to read books. But I abandoned the idea when I discovered that I needed to study Library Science to become a librarian," he added.

As a filmmaker, Pazhaniappan is known for directing Parthiban Kanavu, Pirivom Santhippom, Mandhira Punnagai Jannal Oram and so on. As an actor, he also played a negative role in Arulnithi’s recent release, D Block, which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.