By Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, Jun 23 (IANS): Tamil star Karthi who has been doing a lot of intense roles lately in films like "Kaashmora", Mani Ratnam's "Katru Veliyidai", is now shooting for a project close to his heart that involves the values of a joint family.

Iconic Tamil actor Suriya's brother, Karthi, said he was having the time of his life shooting for "Kadaikutty Singam" which he calls his most personal project to date.

In a decade of his acting, Karthi has established a reputation for doing out-of-the-box roles.

Speaking about his next, the actor says: "The film is produced by my brother Suriya. It talks about values that are very close to my heart. It is about values of the Indian joint family.

"We especially in cities are forsaking the precious joys of living in a joint family. It's a terrible loss.

"I am a member of the Tamil actors' association and I see actors above the age of 60 leading lonely lives with their wives, abandoned by their children living on the pension they get from the Association. It's a very frightening situation," says Karthi.

In "Kadaikutty Singam", Karthi plays the only son of the family. "There are five sisters and then I'm the only male child. So you can imagine what a pampered character I play."

Karthi says it's like being at home. "I come from a joint family and I know how precious my family is to me. But I am working with 20-something actors who keep wondering why we get so emotional doing the family scenes in the film.

"They come from nuclear families and are completely removed from the concept of a joint family."

Speaking of his brother Suriya, Karthi says he is "so much ahead of me". "It will take me years to achieve what he has. I am lucky to have made a small name for myself in an industry that has already given so much love and affection to my brother.

As for sharing screen space with his brother, Karthi says: "We have to find a script that does justice to our presence. Our film together will happen for sure."