The two have delivered some memorable hits and are excellent friends off screen. Superstars in their own right, they have been bum chums for years now. “It’s indeed a challenge to try and match Kamal's skills as an actor on screen and match his wits and intellect off screen,” Ramesh Aravind tells Metrolife.
Ramesh will be now acting with Kamal in Manmadan Ambu directed by K S Ravikumar. “I play a role in a get up in which I have never been seen before,” says Ramesh. Ramesh admits he can never resist a film offered to him by Kamal.
“I have acted in 40-odd Tamil films and had even shifted base to Chennai for six years. When going in Kannada got more interesting, I came back here because it is home.I have always kept in touch with Tamil industry, mainly through Kamal’s films where I had meaningful roles to play,” observes Ramesh and adds, “This time again, the role though not very lengthy is substantial. I love working and learning from Kamalji. So I agreed.”
There are many memorable movies in which the two have acted together. But Rama Shama Bhama, directed by Ramesh with Kamal, is special. “People still recollect his Hubli accent. It was a huge success and gave me credibility as a director,” Ramesh points out. The terrific cast and timing made Panchatantram popular.
“Though personally Kamal was going through a tough phase, he channelised his energy into comedy and made Panchatantram rock,” says Ramesh, who played a Kannadiga and sneaked Kannada words in Tamil film.
The triumph of Mumbai Express is that many people still can't recognise Ramesh in it. “With buck teeth and soda glasses the clean-shaven insurance agent, Thambu that I played gave me immense satisfaction as an actor. To speak Hindi with a Telugu accent and to dub for it was indeed interesting and challenging,” he says.
Ramesh is just as busy in the Kannada industry. He plays a comedian in the upcoming Rangappa Hogbitna, something that Ramesh has thoroughly enjoyed working in. He says Shock, a psychological thriller is something to look forward to. A total family entertainer Happy Husbands with Ravichandran is due for release. “ I will also act in the Kannada version of K Balachander’s Pudu Pudu Arthangal a sentimental film,” says Ramesh.
While that may seem like a handful, Ramesh has also dipped his fingers into hosting a reality show, Raja Rani Ramesh which he says has given him a chance to connect with his audience. “That love rules, is something that comes through in my interaction with the people. It’s the simple things that go a long way in strengthening a relationship,” he sums up.