‘A coconut vendor and then an actor’

When Kaala starring Rajinikanth releases across theatres next week, Dinesh Kumar’s dream of sharing screen space with Thalaivar will be fulfilled.

“I have acted as a side artiste in two dozen films but this one will be very special,” says 27-year-old Dinesh, who plays a background artiste in Kaala. Dinesh was an office boy at the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) office on Greenways Road, running errands, when he met a production manager.

“When I bumped Mahadevan, a production manager, I hesitantly asked him if he would find a role for me in a film, least expecting a positive reply,” says Dinesh.

A die-hard fan of Tamil cinema, Dinesh always wanted to act in films, but the financial situation at home would not allow him to pursue the dream. “I was pleasantly surprised when he nodded,” says Dinesh who sells tender coconuts in Egmore for a living.

Dinesh was heartbroken when the scene he played in his debut movie Man Karate was removed due to technical issues. “I was crying bitterly outside the theatre. A stranger consoled me saying I will appear on the silver screen soon,” he says.

Those words seemed prophetic. For, Dinesh started getting roles as side artiste. Dinesh has shared screen space with Sidharth, G.V. Prakash, Sivakarthikeyan and Vijay Antony. “I am happy that people recognise me when they visit my shop. The role of Hanuman that I played in Thanila Gandam is what people readily identify me with,” says Dinesh who can be spotted opposite Santosh Hospital in Egmore.

He cannot stop talking about Thalaivar.

“The things I learnt from Rajini sir is humility and simplicity. He would get down from his car right at the entrance of the sets and walk to the shooting location,” says Dinesh. The young coconut vendor is happy with the little roles coming his way and wants to continue juggling films and his coconut business. “I learnt everything in my life selling tender coconuts. I am first a coconut vendor and then an actor,” he says.