Abhirami: Social media should not determine an actor's value

Naveen: No, it does not. In fact, I got Eleven's script when I was working on Inspector Rishi. As long as the script and the story are unique, and excite me, I don't worry about being stereotyped. In Eleven, I play a tech-savvy cop, who is calm and stoic. We have just shown him flexing his brawn in the trailer, you will see him more as a thinking cop in the film.

Abhirami: Police is only a profession, and as a person, you can be much more than just the uniform. You can be a cop who is a domestic abuser or a cop like the one Naveen plays in the film. I don't think playing a cop in multiple films has a restrictive effect. It's not like we ask actors why they do romantic films, right? (laughs)

Naveen: While the story was universal, it was quite the task to get the language and dialogues right. Credits to Lokkesh and producer Ajmal for hiring a writer to write the script again in a Telugu neutral to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. We have seen bilinguals where the writing is a mere translation that may not make sense to the audience of a particular language. The rewriting process helped make the film feel original for both sensibilities and that precision was instrumental in finishing the shoot of both the versions in just 51 days.

Abhirami: The industry has been treating me great, and I've been hearing brilliant scripts. Back when I first came to films, some great visions didn't lift off due to technical limitations. Today, when I see the technological boom that enables pushing the boundaries of imagination, I feel happy. What I am dissatisfied with is how social media metrics of follows and likes are determining an actor's value. Some great actors are away from social media. Does that make them less of an actor? Also, during my first innings, there was a healthy camaraderie between actors. It is absent now.

Naveen: Yes, the follows-likes game bothers me as well. Will all my followers convert into ticket purchasers? If that is the case, no producer will run into losses and no film will flop at the box office. If that doesn't happen, it is pointless to measure someone's talent and popularity with several followers.

Abhirami: When I made my debut in films, I was all of 15-16 and I acted till 21 before taking a break. I merely emoted what was told to me. People tell me that they liked seeing me play the Anni character in Samuthiram. But I was only 17 and just took instructions from KS Ravikumar sir. Now, however, I know what it is like to fall head over heels for a man; I know how it is to bring up a child and what it feels like to lose a close one. That's the biggest advantage I enjoy now. During the dubbing of Thug Life, in a particular scene, Kamal sir gave a unique intonation to a line. When I asked how he managed to do this, he said, "I rehearsed for this scene in my real life." Experiences enrich an actor like nothing else.

Naveen: The biggest challenge of such films is to keep the audiences guessing. People lose interest right when it starts getting predictable. But I guarantee that Eleven, which has a strong emotional core, will offer an immersive experience that will make those who watch a part of the detection process.