M’sian actor overwhelmed by warm response for his Kollywood movie debut

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian actor Datuk Aaron Aziz is all over the moon as his first appearance in a Tamil movie, Tik Tik Tik, is well-received not only by local Indians but also overseas.

He was cast as a villain in his Kollywood debut alongside Jayam Ravi as the hero in a film that is touted as India’s first “space exploration movie” which was directed by Shakti Soundar Rajan.

In an exclusive interview with Bernama at his residence here, Aaron, 42, was clearly overjoyed by the warm response from the Indian community and described his feeling as “having won an election”.

“I’ve received a lot of messages from fans who praised my acting even though I only played a supporting role in the movie,” he said.

He admitted that this was also the first time he received overwhelming support from non-Malay fans in his two-decade career as an actor.

Besides Ravi and Aaron, Tik Tik Tik, which hit the cinemas around the globe from June 22, also features Nivetha Pethuraj and Ramesh Thilak in lead roles.

The film is still showing in cinemas in Malaysia, India, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Aaron, who starred in Malaysian hit movies like KL Gangster and Ombak Rindu, shared that he gained many wonderful memories in the Kollywood scene and despite playing a supporting role, he was treated like a king during the three-week filming session in Chennai, India, last year.

“In Malaysia, the production assistant will only prepare the wardrobe, but in India, the staff in charge of the wardrobe would go to the extent of helping to change the clothes, fasten the belt and even zip up the actors’ pants! But of course, I preferred doing it myself,” he chuckled.

Commenting on his willingness to take on a supporting role, the Singapore-born actor said he looked at it as an opportunity to learn new things rather than for the glitz and glamour.

Acknowledging the grandness of Indian film industry, Aaron said there were so many things the local industry players could learn from the players in Kollywood film industry.

During the first day of filming, he said, he was taken to a warehouse that “didn’t even look like a movie set”.

“But when I stepped inside, it was like entering a whole new world.

“It was bustled with about 300 people carrying out their respective duties, there are many things happen simultaneously in that place and yet very well-coordinated. I’m really impressed,” he said.

Aaron also said he would be very much interested to act in more Kollywood films and also encouraged other local actors to grab the opportunity if it ever knocked on their doors.