Por Thozhil actor Ashok Selvan opens up on the reason which made him sign the hit crime drama

Por Thozhil, one of the hit Tamil films of the year, is finally dropping on SonyLIV on August 11. The crime drama helmed by debutant Vignesh Raja stars Sarath Kumar and Ashok Selvan in lead roles. The movie hit the screens two months ago and opened to positive responses from critics and cinephiles.  

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In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, Ashok Selvan gets candid on what made him sign the movie, being part of OTT projects and theatricals, and how important is promotions in today's scenario.

"There was a time I was flooded with crime stories after Thegidi became successful. I had decided not to take up films in the genre for a while. However, the story of Por Thozhil was fascinating. Though I was a little skeptical initially, the idea of a boy becoming a man intrigued me," he says.

He adds that many producers asked him how he agreed to accept a character who is being made fun of by others in various instances in the movie. "But the fact is, I loved downplaying my role in the film. The character arc was so interesting that the climax elevated my role and the film. Many people are now asking about the possibility of a sequel. That's because they fell in love with the characters of Por Thozhil."

Ashok, who has been part of a few notable OTT projects, says that the platforms offer ample scope for performance and innovative storytelling. Having said that, he expresses concern over a few platforms agreeing to buy movies only after their box office performance.

"I agree theatrical performance is important, but some of the small moments in our lives can be brought alive only through OTT projects. The story of the segment I played in Amazon Prime's Modern Love Chennai recently suits more for an OTT viewing," he notes.

The actor believes that promotion is the key to ensuring maximum reach for a project irrespective of whether it's a theatrical release or a direct-to-OTT outing. He cites Por Thozhil's case as an example.

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"The film garnered encouraging reviews from the beginning. The word of mouth was so strong, but we wanted to cash in on the trend and came up with a few promo videos that I think enhanced its prospects at the box office," he signs off.