'Enemy will be a special film for each one of us’

Anand Shankar could be rightly called the Ang Lee of Tamil cinema. Ang Lee is known for his composure on sets but the output he gives through his films is explosive. That is what Anand has done with Enemy. He has created magic with the content he has written that you would see on screens soon. He knows how to get the work done. RD Rajasekhar’s visual too would speak for itself. Enemy will be a special film in the careers of those who are a part of it. I do not want to give away any spoilers but the film has something for every section of the audience. 

It was Vishal who suggested that I listen to the narration. I liked the way Anand had narrated the story to me. I had no inhibitions when I was approached to play the antagonist. There is nothing wrong with playing an onscreen villain. For me, it’s just a part of the process in exploring new dimensions of my acting. On location, it was fun. My bonding with Vishal over the years has reflected well in front of the camera for Enemy. The cat-andmouse game and how it unfolds will make for a good watch. Vishal and I are enemies only in the film. Offcamera the camaraderie we share will never change. 

I am glad that the teaser has received a good response. I have been getting congratulatory calls and messages. Putting the teaser together was an exciting process. We have a huge star cast of Vishal, Arya, Prakash Raj, Mamta, Thambi Ramaiah, Karunakaran and Mirnalini. You could see each of them in the teaser and that is the prominence they would have in the film as well. Another aim of the teaser was to establish the production value of Enemy. We wanted to show people that Mini Studio has made a film under a huge budget. Producer Vinod went all out in giving us what the film required. Though the teaser is action-packed, the film has enough drama and emotions to it. 

Even though I have bankrolled a few Malayalam movies previously, Enemy is my first big film. I was able to do this because Vishal, Arya and Anand Shankar had faith in me. I was finally able to provide what fans of Vishal have been asking me for a long time. We had to postpone the teaser because of the second wave. If not for the pandemic the movie would have been out in theatres by now. We are good to release Enemy in September in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. 

The team of Enemy is young and energetic. This is my first film with Vishal but we bonded like we have done 10 films before. This is also my third film with Anand Shankar after Iru Mugan and NOTA. All his films are made in huge grandeur despite which Anand stays cool and also is fun to work with. Also working with RD sir is something I enjoyed again after Iru Mugan. The kind of value he brings to a film is immense. Arya and I do not have a lot of combination scenes in Enemy but we had fun the days we shot together. Moreover, I have never seen a producer who shows up on his film’s sets every day but Vinod was there on all days till we pack up the shoot. The team effort will certainly have a positive impact on the output. 

I have never seen a director who is as organised as Anand Shankar. The frame in which you see me in the teaser was decided by Anand in April. He told me that this will be my teaser shot and I couldn’t believe it when I saw the teaser. Just like the teaser, the entire shoot was planned so well that even the shoot time wouldn’t exceed. Being in the middle of stars like Vishal and Arya, I was given equal treatment by the cast and crew. We were lucky enough to complete the shoot just before the lockdown in April-May and return to India on time. I can’t wait to see the film in theatres in September