He has made a notable debut in the film, 'Baana Kaathadi', and then impressed audiences with his acting skills in 'Muppozhudhum un Karpannaigal' which carved him his own space in the industry — but Bala’s 'Paradesi' has taken him to the next level, making him a promising actor and a genuine competitor to all the versatile heroes out there. Atharvaa Murali, the son of yesteryear actor Murali, seems to be following in his father’s footsteps, and, in fact, living out his father’s dreams. All that drove him into the big league is his love for films that he watched during his college days, purchasing DVDs. There was the genetic factor too. Atharva is now all set for the release of his next film, 'Irumbhu Kuthirai', directed by Yuvaraj Bose. This film appears to be one more unique script in his career.
Atharvaa, who was last seen in Paradesi as an unfortunate slave in a tea estate, will now don the role of a charismatic and stylish bike racer, which he considers to be one of the biggest opportunities to come his way as an actor for two reasons — one, for the brilliant storyline, the other for its power bikes, “You hardly get a chance to drive superbikes like the Ducati and BMW for hours. The story revolves around bikers, and I believe that it has shaped up well. In fact, we shot one of the stunt sequences in Europe for which we took a lot of effort to get used to handling those superbikes,” says Atharvaa, “It’s really a lovely experience to be a part of such a different script.”
Also, Atharvaa couldn’t resist complimenting his co-star, Priya Anand, who never fails to fill the sets with positive vibes and energy. “She is such a lovely person, and it was a completely different experience to shoot with a person who always tries to make any situation simple and happy. Also, when it comes to her on-screen performance, she is indeed a brilliant artist,” he says. Priya Anand plays the role of a person, who is obsessed with bikes. Her character in the film is that of a lovable, bubbly, sweet person.
Apart from the films he does, the respect that Atharvaa has for his father, Murali, who passed away two years ago, is clearly evident in the way he speaks of him. Every answer of his is prefixed by his father’s name; he attributes the success and respect earned until now to his dad’s love for him. “My parents have always been my support during tough times. Especially my dad, who was more like my best friend. In fact, I would share with him everything that happened in my life. He has played a huge role in my life as he understood what I exactly needed to do to walk on the desired path,” he says.
Atharvaa’s entry into films happened out of his own desire, and all during his college days. He used to buy a stack full of DVDs to watch classic films and became a movie buff — that’s how he developed an interest in cinema and expressed his interest to his dad, seeking to shift from engineering to the film industry.
Which was his favourite among his dad’s films? “There are so many. I admired him to a great extent. In fact, at one point of time, he also started to experiment with many different roles in his movies. 'Pagal Nilavu', 'Idhayam, Iranniyan' are some of my favourites. Even now I watch them with the same excitement as though I was watching them for the first time.”
Atharvaa’s third film, 'Paradesi', garnered much critical acclaim for his acting, and, in fact, he was praised by the big names in the Industry. But he still regrets that his dad was not there to watch that film, which he considers to be his best. “If my dad would have watched the film, I am sure that he would have been one of the happiest men in the world. When I was in school, if someone said something good about me, he would smile like a child in joy — if he would have watched Paradesi, I am sure, he would have been on cloud nine,” he says. Atharvaa also regrets that he misses playing cricket at home with his dad — in fact, his entire family would play the game together.
When asked about the experience of working with Bala sir in the film 'Paradesi', which was based on the novel, Red Tea, written by Paul Daniel, he says, “Bala Sir is a person who is misinterpreted. It’s very tough to understand him, but once you know his intentions and ideology, it’s wonderful to work with him. I have a great respect for him. Also, when we get involved in his film, it’s a completely different world. One would know the meaning of the real art of acting.”
A controversy crept in before the film released. A video, leaked to social networking sites, showed Bala hitting artists with a stick to extract a realistic performance out of them during the shoot — was that true or a made-up video? “Bala Sir would never do that to anyone. Only people close to him would actually know how sweet he is. In fact, the stick that he used was not real. It was just to show us the intensity and the emotion of the scene. If Bala Sir offered me another film in the near future, I would do it without any hesitation,” he says. Director Bala himself had said once that Atharvaa was one of the most dedicated actors; he had gamely rolled on rocks more than 30 times for the last scene in the film.
Also, this talented young actor has shared screen space with Prasanna in his debut film, 'Baana Kathadi', a film that did well at the box office. “It was indeed a great experience to work with Prasanna, who is one of the most versatile actors in the industry. He played a very subtle role in a different way, and impressed many. I had a chance to learn a lot from him during the shoot,” he says. Atharvaa always takes inspiration from his co-stars and anybody whom he comes across in his life. “My inspirations are not limited to prominent personalities. It may be anyone who possesses good qualities within them,” he says.
After 'Irumbhu Kuthirai', which will be released in the next few months, Atharvaa has signed for his next film, an untitled project produced by Kalaipuli S. Thaanu, and it seems to be a completely commercial entertainer. He pairs opposite Catherine Tresa, who has earlier acted in quite a few Telugu films.
