“I was born and raised in Mumbai. We moved to Chennai for my sister’s career in films. When her career was at an all-time high, she eloped to get married against my parents wishes and left us vulnerable as she was the only working member in the family.

A few months later, my mother told me about an audition happening nearby. She asked me to go for it and I reluctantly showed up there to find a long queue of people waiting to audition for the role. I was told that the film would have five boys in the lead role, and there were around 1000 people my age auditioning for each character.

I knew I wouldn’t make the cut, so I told her that I was not too fond of the part, and that I am turning it down. A few hours later, I got a call to come down with my keyboard and audition as I was shortlisted. I got the part. The shoot was fun. It was only when our director, Mr. Shankar sir, wished us all the best on the last day of filming that, I realized I needed to build a career here.

People mistake me for having an attitude because I am an introvert. I refuse public appearances because of my social anxiety. But people prefer adding tags without knowing the story. We actors are people too, and the pressure gets to us most times. Most people in the industry battle depression silently. We always have a facade on!

The multiple offers I got after ‘Boys’ were similar scripts, but I was waiting for the right opportunity. That’s when ‘Kadhalil Vizhundhen’ happened. I started shedding pounds and while doing so, I was also training to join the army to move away from films. For someone who was bullied for being overweight, this new look gave me confidence and I developed a healthy obsession with weight training.

Director Shankar sir allowed me to sing in his film ‘Aniyan’ which laid the foundation for my singing career. Through all the struggles, I created my identity here. My family and my wife, Sruti are my biggest strength. We have a beautiful home with 4 dogs and 4 cats who are all adopted except one. They take away every iota of stress that we have.

Being an actor, singer, or composer was never the plan. But life and my fans have brought me this far and I am here to stay!”

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