Promising newcomer (male) — Sivakarthikeyan (Marina)
When Sivakarthikeyan got the opportunity to be part of Pandiraj's Marina, he had no idea his life would change for the better. "When I got an offer to do a film with Pandiraj sir, I immediately accepted it. I wasn't thinking of the future, and gave it my best. But guess I was destined to debut with the film and I'm glad I did. The film gave a boost to my career, and now, I'm happy to be winning awards for my performance as well," he smiles, "I thank Chennai Times and everyone who voted for me."
BEST MUSIC DIRECTOR — Anirudh (3)
Kolaveri. Tell that one word, and you'll know which music composer we're talking about. The young Anirudh, who burst onto the scene with 3, which featured the viral hit Why This Kolaveri Di, has several Tamil films lined up currently. So, how did he land this film? A lot of people do not know that it was actually because of a short film for which he'd scored music. Recalls Anirudh, "Those days, Dhanush kept saying that I'll make it big someday, but I thought he was pulling my leg! When he wanted me to compose music for the film, I was just 19 and in my final year of college. The offer was sudden and unexpected — just like the success."
