The film industry operates in enigmatic ways. For some, it's pure chance, while for others, it might be an unintentional entry that shaped them into the person they are today. The notion of being in the right place at the right moment also exists, and for some, the direct and laborious path of sincere labor pays off. Ashok Selvan, who will be appearing in his biggest film to date, Thug Life, is experiencing a little bit of everything.

"The intent, I believe, is the beginning. As stated in old literature, the universe was created with a purpose. In 2011, I spent more than a week standing outside Mani sir's Madras Talkies office. If you consider it that way, it's a manifestation of the fact that I genuinely wanted to collaborate with him. Nonetheless, it took 14 years rather than overnight. I did a lot of work, not just manifestation. In my opinion, it's a combination of hard work, intention, manifestation, and a little bit of it goes to Mani sir for calling me. The Thug Life actor, who will be making his debut with Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan, adds, "He might have called anyone, but he did call me."

"I was thrilled and a little apprehensive about what I was going to do. After twelve years, it felt like Soodhu Kavvum. It seemed like I was producing my debut movie.

Interview with Ashok Selvan, the star of Thug Life:

Ashok Selvan had introduced many new talents to Tamil film, including Jayakumar with Blue Star, Vignesh Raja with Por Thozhil, and Ashwath Marimuthu with Oh My Kadavule. In Thug Life, the performer, who is very proud of his experience with newcomers, is now collaborating with industry veterans. There is a significant difference, according to Ashok Selvan. "It's like going from LKG to college, because on the sets of debutants', I am the star, but here on the sets of Thug Life, you are surrounded by stars," the actor says, noting that the technical crew, including cinematographer Ravi K Chandran and art director Sharmishta Roy, is also full of star power, not just actors like Simbu and Nasser. "All of them are legends, and working with them is different because they are people with minimal words. They hardly speak to each other since they are aware of what each other is expressing; my age is their experience.

Mani Ratnam's lightning-fast working manner is described by Ashok Selvan. "Timing was so fast with Mani sir, and he keeps the shot as early as 7.30." I believe he is the quickest, even though I've worked with a lot of newbies. Because I anticipated a major film to move at a leisurely pace, perhaps only one scene each day, it was a novel experience for me, but it turned out to be quicker than the newbies. Just by watching how they handle the craft, how a scene is set up, and what he requests, you learn a lot. He employs keywords rather than always acting and exhibiting. As soon as we have a clear grasp of it, we can do it correctly. Additionally, Ashok Selvan always refers to him as the "kid in the family" of Thug Life. "I'm merely a youngster having fun on the huge, star-filled sets."

No discussion of Thug The fact that Nayakan, the first partnership between Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan, has been ignored by life is noteworthy. The movie, which examined the life of a criminal at different points in time, placed him in opposition to a young police officer (at the time played by Nasser). Given that the young performer portrays a police officer in Thug Life, a parallel may now be drawn. "The movie is not at all related to Nayakan. About how he could see someone like Nasser sir through me, Kamal sir had told Nasser sir during my shoot. I consider it a great compliment when I hear it directly from the master. Nasser sir's work is something I greatly admire and respect. Nevertheless, my role in Nayakan is quite different from what Nasser sir portrayed.

“It’s an interesting place, and everyone says cop, but I don't. It is interesting character and one of the spokes in a giant wheel,” Ashok Selvan says, adding a touch of mystery and being careful not to reveal any plot points.

On dubbing Mufasa in The Lion King:

Ashok Selvan worked as a dubbing artist before the release of Thug Life, and he provided the Tamil voice of Taka in the 2024 animated movie Mufasa: The Lion King. In addition to playing with his voice modulations, the actor also gave his character, who was the movie's antagonist, an endearing and sympathetic portrayal. In this regard, Ashok Selvan tells us that dubbing is the aspect of the filmmaking process that interests him the least. "I always find it exhausting to replicate something that I have performed, since I would have been in a different headspace when doing it. Even though dubbing eventually becomes a manual task, I came to accept it throughout my career.

The actor claims that, despite the fact that The Lion King is his favorite film from his youth, he was initially uninterested in the offer. "However, it was intriguing when they said it's Taka's job." I like how Scar behaves in the cartoon, and I wanted to explore the character's scope, including the evil side. It is a lavish kind of wickedness. I eventually came to understand that the innocent childhood version is Taka. After seeing the entire movie, I felt sorry for Taka. Even though it was initially quite challenging for the first few attempts, especially when it came to dubbing for an animal, I found it to be pleasurable nonetheless. However, I was able to improvise so much in the funny scenes. It was primarily a matter of personal satisfaction.

In response to a question about portraying an antagonist, Ashok Selvan replies, "Well, many have stated that I have the face cut of a villain, or that of a vampire." I really do wish to portray a villain. I cannot distinguish between a hero and a villain. The villain roles in this book are uninteresting, but I would accept one if I liked it, so I hope they do. Since I have always defied the market and followed my own desires, what it says is irrelevant to me. If it's interesting, I'll give it a shot.

The actor also talks about another 2024 film, Blue Star, which featured the actor as a cricketer who has to battle oppression to find a place of equality. “I listened to the story and found it interesting. I play cricket for school team and I wanted to play cricket in one of my films. But I also loved Shanthnu’s character who has a better arc than mine. When Jayakumar narrated the story, I asked him to develop that character more because the story needed. My intention is for the film to work, and that is when the glory.

Speaking about his upcoming films, Ashok Selvan confirms that he will be reuniting with Thegidi director P Ramesh for another film, the announcement to follow. “It is a fresh film, and not a sequel to Thegidi. He has been writing the script and is a fantastic director. I am so excited to start the film. I am also shooting for another film with Vignesh Raja’s script. We have shot 70% and it will be an engaging thriller,” Ashok Selvan concludes.

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