TOI gets chatting with Mahath and Ashwin, the two young stars of the recent hit Mankatha, on their journey and the road ahead…

Clap
Mahath: My childhood days were spent in Anna Nagar, Ashok Nagar and T Nagar. I was very much into athletics, and had participated in almost all the basketball tournaments conducted at the state level. While I was not into stage plays and theatres, dancing always interested me.

Ashwin: My favourite childhood memories are related to my stay in R A Puram. I was majorly into street cricket then, and spent most of my summer vacations playing with friends from the neighbourhood. When I was a kid, I used to do short plays with my cousins – that’s how I got interested in acting.

Silence
Mahath: I’m from a non-filmi background and Simbu was my only friend who was in the industry. Then, I got introduced to Dhayanidhi Azhagiri and we hit off quite well. He was the one who encouraged me when I wanted to get into films.

Ashwin: In one of my school plays (Mahabharatha), I enacted Arjuna and got a lot of appreciation. When I turned 15, I bought a video camera and started shooting short films.

Roll camera
Mahath: As I was close to Simbu, I got a chance to visit shooting spots. I’ve also seen TR uncle when he would shoot his films. I saw the amount of hard work they put in, and I determined to put in a lot of hard work to make it big. I took up acting courses, and started seeing a lot of films.

Ashwin: I’m a big fan of Harrison Ford and Kamal Haasan. I’ve watched Aboorva Sagodargal almost 100 times now! Getting into the industry was a little difficult – I attended workshops and auditioned for many roles, and even did several short films. Guess I got lucky when I was spotted by Gautham Menon, and later by Venkat Prabhu!

Action
Mahath: Mankatha provided me the big break in Kollywood. Working with Ajith was a wonderful experience, and I made several friends from the unit. It’s a film that will always have a special place in my heart.

Ashwin: The reality of what it takes to become an actor hit me when I met Ajith! Man, does he work hard! I gave my best in the film. Though it was a multi-starrer, my role was noticed.

Cut
Mahath: Life post Mankatha has been great. I’ve been getting a lot of offers, and I’ve even signed up a film that will be produced by my friend Dhayanidhi Alagri.

Ashwin: A lot of Ajith fans come up to me and say that I did a good job in Mankatha – to hear that is quite satisfying.

Take OK
Mahath: I know I’m not a big star yet, but when I was in Malayasia recently, people recognised me as the actor from Mankatha. It kind of feels good when people recognise you on the road. I’m sure I’ll be committed to giving my best to any project I do.

Ashwin: I believe that apart from putting in a lot of effort, and being totally dedicated, one has to be at the right place at the right time. Luck also plays an important role in one’s life. People now recognise me, flash a smile and undecidedly approach me. It feels good. I hope to make it big in the industry now. I’m now listening to a lot of stories and will pick up the good ones from the lot. Besides, I’m also helping in running my family business.