Aari plays an artist in Maya

Aari, who is busy with Kadai Enn 6 and Maane Thaene Paeye, plays an artist in the Nayanthara-starrer Maya which is a supernatural thriller. Aari says, “I play an artist who works for a magazine. It was tough for me to learn to draw because in real life I am a big zero when it comes to art and sketches. The director told me that he could arrange a dupe for the close-up shots alone. But I didn’t want to do that. So, I sought help from the movie’s art director Ramalingam and learnt some basic strokes.”

“I used to go early to the shoot and observe Ramalingam, who took special classes for me. As most of the shots were close-ups, I had to paint for real. I practised 2-3 hours for almost a week. First he taught me about the nuances of portraiture and then he handed me colours. Initially, I struggled to get the technique right. But after I understood how to move my hands, it became easy. Now, I know how to go about the basics,” smiles Aari.

When asked what a painter has to do with ghost, Aari laughs and says that the screenplay of the movie will scare the audience because it is very believable. However, there is humour, too, he assures. “In fact, art, horror and comedy make for a saleable combo these days. In a horror film, the overriding emotion is fear. Add comedy to it and you have a deadly combination,” he signs off.