THE Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the film industry, with many productions having to be postponed.
One of those who have been impacted by this is 31-year-old Klang-born actor Yuvaraj Krishnasamy.
“I miss going to the set and facing the camera,” said the actor, who started his career in the entertainment industry in 2014.
Yuvaraj started out acting in stage plays, progressing to music videos, short films, television dramas and movies. He has appeared in eight feature films, four telemovies and seven television series to date.
Two years ago, he acted as the lead in the Kollywood film Lights Camera Action under the direction of young Indian director Balaji Jayabalan. He played a young filmmaker who struggles to create a name for himself in the film industry.
The current pandemic has delayed the release of the film in cinemas.
This is his second Kollywood film. His first film was Yaazhi in 2016, where he played a minor role.
Recently, he acted in his first Malay production – 13 episodes of a television series called Project Anchor SPM, under the direction of Razaisyam Rashid.
How would you describe yourself as an actor?
I am a director’s actor. I believe rehearsal is important. A director has a vision on how his film should be. It is important for you to attend the rehearsal and to find out what the vision is. You need to constantly communicate with your director. I also read the script over and over again. My ultimate aim is I should become the character before the camera starts rolling.
What has been your biggest challenge in being an actor?
Late in 2019, I lost my younger brother. He died of a heart attack at only 28. His death was really unexpected. Losing your loved one is never easy to deal with. But I try not to bring my sadness to my set when I was shooting my new productions throughout 2020. You have to be professional. You must never bring your problems to the set. It was one of the hardest things I had to do.
What are your future plans?
I have been directing short films. I want to direct a feature film in the near future. I have stories to tell. Locally, I admire directors like Karthik Shamalan and S.D. Puvanendran. They are good storytellers. Internationally, I am a huge fan of Christopher Nolan. They call him a master for a reason. He is my inspiration. My long term goal is to have my own production house. I would love to be an entrepreneur and get involved in any business that is related to art.
Was your first ambition to be an actor?
I was supposed to be a footballer. When I was 18, I was scouted and sent to Perugia, Italy to be trained to be a footballer. Unfortunately, six months into my training, I suffered a terrible knee injury. I underwent two surgeries. I could no longer play competitive football. My dreams to be a footballer was dashed. I was depressed. I could not even see a football field. Slowly, I learned to put this broken dream behind me and started having new dreams. I believe when God shuts one door, he will open another door for you.
When did you want to become an actor?
I was creative when I was young. I was actively involved in school productions. I was a self-taught dancer. I was into hip-hop and contemporary dance. But I never thought of acting as a career. I took a degree in International Business Management. I was doing some short films during my college days. I received a lot of praise for my work. Some people have given me encouragement to try my luck in the entertainment field. I started attending auditions. I am enjoying what I am doing now. I really cannot see myself in a nine-to-five job.
What is your advice to aspiring young actors?
You need to have patience and perseverance. Some get easily annoyed when they do not get the part they auditioned for. I have been rejected numerous times. Not everyone is lucky on their first audition. Rejection does not mean you are not a good actor. Maybe the production team is looking for a different personality. You must understand the audition game is a huge ocean and there are many talented individuals out there. Competition is intense. You need to constantly improve yourself if you want to stay ahead. When I started out in this industry, social media was not a huge influence. Now, it is a different ball game. You can use social media like YouTube and Tik Tok to showcase your talents.
