Tamil cinema star Sivakarthikeyan recently opened up about his emotional journey and how he overcame personal struggles, including the loss of his father, by finding solace in entertainment.
In a heartfelt conversation with actor-politician Khushbu Sundar at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, Sivakarthikeyan shared his path from engineering college to the stage, where he began his career as a mimicry artist.
Reflecting on the difficult period following his father’s death, Sivakarthikeyan admitted that he was battling depression.
“I didn’t know what to do. To escape from the sadness, I got onto the stage, where the claps and appreciation became my therapy,” he said. This therapeutic experience on stage became the beginning of his career, as his friends at college encouraged him to perform in front of an audience. “My first stage was in college when I was studying engineering. My friends pushed me onto the stage and said, ‘Do whatever you feel like, the audience should enjoy,'” he recalled.
The actor, who is currently enjoying the success of his latest film ‘Amaran’, where he plays the role of a military officer, also discussed his early days in television. His calculated approach to gaining screen time in his early hosting career became a topic of conversation.
“Television hosts come for a full one hour because they need to say the show’s name, so they can’t edit that,” Sivakarthikeyan explained, highlighting his strategic entry into the industry.
In his recent film, ‘Amaran’, he portrays Major Mukund Varadarajan, a real-life hero who sacrificed his life for his country. Sivakarthikeyan attributed the success of the film to the selflessness of the soldier.
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“He was from Chennai, and he went all the way to Kashmir to save lives. He didn’t think about his family at that time, not even his three-and-a-half-year-old daughter,” the actor said. “Sacrifice is the greatest form of heroism, and that is what Major Varadarajan embodied.”
Despite his growing success, Sivakarthikeyan admitted that there were moments when he considered quitting the industry. However, it was the support of his wife, Aarthi, who encouraged him to keep going, that helped him push through those tough times.
On a lighter note, Sivakarthikeyan also shared his stance on social media, revealing that he has drastically reduced his usage in recent years. “I’ve been using social media less in the last two years. If you want to use it, go ahead, but I’d advise you not to spend too much time on platforms like Twitter,” he joked. “Maybe Elon Musk will block my account one day, and that would be my first success.”
Sivakarthikeyan also credited his mother for her invaluable life lessons, despite her limited formal education. “My mom only studied until the eighth grade, but she knows life better than I do,” he said, expressing deep gratitude for her guidance.