IFFI 2024: Sivakarthikeyan says he turned to entertainment to escape from depression

Tamil actor Sivakarthikeyan opened up about how he coped with depression and sadness following the death of his father during his college days. He shared that it was the stage that helped him heal, with the applause acting as a form of therapy.
In a candid conversation with actor-politician Khushbu Sundar at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, Sivakarthikeyan reflected on his journey in the film industry. Currently enjoying the success of his latest military drama 'Amaran', which has performed well at the box office, the actor traced his roots back to his college days as a mimicry artist during his time in engineering school.

“My first stage was in my college when I was doing my engineering. My friends pushed me onto the stage and said, ‘Do whatever you feel like, the audience should enjoy,’” Sivakarthikeyan recalled.
Following his father’s death during his college years, Sivakarthikeyan turned to entertainment as a form of therapy. “I was depressed. I didn’t know what to do. To escape from the depression, from that sadness, I got onto the stage where claps and appreciation were the therapy,” he said.

The actor detailed his strategic entry into television in 2007, explaining his method of gaining more screen time. “Television hosts come for a full one hour because they say the show’s name, so they cannot edit that,” he said, describing it as his calculated move.

Speaking about his recent portrayal of Major Mukund Varadarajan in 'Amaran', Sivakarthikeyan credited the film’s success to the real-life soldier’s selflessness. Talking about Varadarajan, he said, “He was from Chennai, from this tip of India. He went to Kashmir to save all the people there. He didn’t even think about his family at that time. His daughter was three and a half years old, and he didn’t even think about it.”
“He saved his own team, a true leader. So this film’s success is because of his sacrifice. Sacrifice is the biggest, biggest, biggest heroism,” he added.

Sivakarthikeyan shared that he had contemplated quitting the industry but was encouraged by his wife, Aarthi, to continue. However, he has maintained a strict distance from social media. “For the last two years, I’m using social media very less. If you want to use, use the internet. This is my kind advice, but don’t use too much social media, especially Twitter. Maybe, I think Elon Musk might block my account, and that will be the first success I think for me,” he joked.
The actor also credited his mother’s guidance, despite her limited formal education, for his success. “My mom did only eighth standard, but she knows life better than me,” he said.
(With IANS inputs)