Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi’s Tamil-language action biographical war drama, Amaran, has emerged as one of the biggest successes of 2024. Directed by Rajkumar Periyasamy, the film stars Rohman Shawl as the lead antagonist, marking his entry into mainstream cinema. Acclaimed for its action sequences and emotional storytelling, Amaran has enthralled audiences and critics alike.

Originally a model, Rohman took to acting after years of hesitation and made a powerful debut with Amaran. In an exclusive conversation with India Today Digital, the actor talks about his new milestone, working with a fantastic cast and receiving praise from Kamal Haasan. She also opened up about being comfortable showing her vulnerabilities on camera and the public scrutiny of her personal life.

Excerpts from the interview:

You were a model before acting. Did you always want to make a change into acting?

“To be honest, I never wanted to be an actor before. I was scared because of some of my experiences. For example, once I was selected for a major film, but they changed me at the last minute. It was a shock and made me think, ‘Maybe this industry isn’t for me.’ I avoided acting for years, until 2021, when I did a short film called Azadi. That project made me realize I’m not as bad as I feared.”

Talking about Amraan, how was your journey leading to this film? What did you learn?

“The best thing I learned from this film was patience. I was cast in 2022, and the director asked me to grow my hair out to match the look of the character. But the shooting kept getting delayed. We It was supposed to start in February 2023, but it eventually started in July 2024. During that time, I turned down a lot of work because I wanted to keep the look intact – it was hard – especially turning down big offers – but the project went on. believe in Inspired me to move forward.”

It must have been exciting to work with stars like Sai Pallavi and Sivakarthikeyan. What did you learn from them?

“Unfortunately, I didn’t have any scenes with Sai Pallavi. The first time I saw her work was in the trailer, and her purity as an actor amazed me. It made me think, ‘Oh no, People are going to hate my character even more!’ However, Shiv was incredible. We worked together in workshops, and I admire how down-to-earth he was off camera as well. I hope I can be on my journey as well. Only then will I be able to bring that balance.”

Playing the role of an antagonist is always considered a risk. What attracted you?

“The power and intensity of the anti-hero role attracted me. I’m not that kind of person in real life, so playing a villain helped me bring out emotions that I don’t often show. He said, I want to experiment with roles in the future. It’s all about growing as an actor. I don’t mind playing an antagonist as long as it’s exciting.”

Your personal life often makes more headlines than your professional life. Does it ever bother you?

“Not really. Earlier, when people talked about my personal life, I wasn’t doing much professionally, so it didn’t bother me. Now that my work is getting recognition, So there is a balance and I have no problem with it.” ,

Amaran is now available to stream on Netflix.