Since I grew up in Palakkad, I am comfortable speaking both Tamil and Malayalam.
My thought process is in Malayalam. So, every time I have to work outside Malayalam, the process is a little stressful. I have to translate my Malayalam thoughts into English and back to Tamil.
I am a Malayali. My ancestors are from Tamil Nadu, but they settled in Irinjalakuda.
Having done movies in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi, I have been accepted both in North and down South. I don't believe in divisions. I like to believe that I am working in the Indian film industry.
Priyadarshan asked me during the shooting of 'Maalamaal Weekly' 'where are you from, Kerala or Tamil Nadu?' I told him 'I am a Malayali just like you.'
I have grown up in Chennai, so I speak Tamil fluent.
I am open to working in all southern language - Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
I am more comfortable working in Tamil films rather than in Malayalam.
I am open to do a Telugu, Tamil or Malayali movie. If I get a good script and good character, I will surely do it.
I am not familiar with Telugu, Tamil or Malayalam and tend to feel they are foreign languages to me.
I grew up in Chennai and was very much influenced by Rajinikant's stardom and importance of cinema in Tamil culture.
Of course I catch up on the odd Malayalam and Tamil movie on streaming platforms once a while.
True, I was born and raised in Chennai, fluent in Tamil, but essentially, I am a Telugu guy and a Telugu actor.
I am required to shoot for 'Jaiyam' only for five days in a month. Being able to speak Tamil fluently, I complete 25 episodes each time I visit Chennai.
Human beings around the world have to be taught to go, 'Tamil equals Tamil civilians first, and the Tamil Tiger is a separate thing.' And both of those groups are different. It's like a square and a circle.
I have never been someone who chooses a film according to the language. Since I am comfortable with Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, the scope of the film is all that matters to me.