MGR's grandson set to debut

Scions of political and film families usually enter tinsel town while their succesful kith and kin are still in power. But, debutant Ramachandran bucks that trend. Despite being the grandson of the late, great actor and politician MG Ramachandran, the young actor, who is the son of MGR’s adopted daughter Sudha and late Vijayakumar, has plunged into acting only now. Yes, after 30 years, a member of MGR’s family has donned the grease paint, for the movie Kabali Thottam. “My thaatha wanted to christen me with a historical Tamil name like Raja Raja Chozhan, but my mom insisted on naming me after him so that I would grow up to be someone big, like him,” he starts his conversation with DC.

He fully realises the huge responsibility that comes along with his name. “My thaatha’s name spells magic. So, there’s always the onus of carrying on the family’s legacy in my mind.” Justifying his late entry into films, he says, “My mother wanted me to excel in academics first. After completing my engineering, I did my masters in Australia.”About his role in the film, he says, “The film, under T.R. Bhaskar’s direction, is set in a place called Kabali Thottam in Mylapore, and based on a real-life incident. It is a meaty role, so I have been dieting and working out to play this rugged anti-hero character”. So, will he enter politics? “Oh no! I am not interested. I tell people  not to mix politics with my family,” he signs off.