AR Murugadoss’ Sivakarthikeyan and Rukmini Vasanth-starrer Madharaasi will be released in theatres on 5 September. Ahead of the film’s release, the lead actors spoke to anchor Suma in a promotional interview. In it, Sivakarthikeyan responded to some rumours he had seen lately about his health and steroid usage. Here’s what he said.

Sivakarthikeyan responds to rumours of steroid usage

Sivakarthikeyan was asked by Suma if he had ever seen any rumours about himself with fake thumbnails being made by YouTubers. The actor stated that initially he saw rumours that he made a six-pack for his last film, Amaran, stating, “For Amaran, they said that I did six packs first. They put a fake picture with my face and said I made eight packs, actually. I didn’t even have one pack, I just built my body.”

The actor then said that lately he has seen morphed pictures of himself looking ill with an enlarged head, claiming that he had fallen sick due to using steroids to build his body. “Recently, they changed it. They enlarged my face, and they wrote – he used steroids, so he lost his health. Look at how he is. I was like, ayoo,” he said, laughing about how ridiculous it was. In Amaran, Sivakarthikeyan played the late Major Mukund Varadarajan and had gotten fit for the role.

Upcoming work

Sivakarthikeyan, who began his career with standup comedy and mimicry on stage, debuted as a lead actor with the 2012 film Marina. While some of his films, like Remo, Doctor and Don, made him popular, his more recent film, Amaran, turned his career around. It became the highest-grossing film of his career, bringing in ₹333 crore worldwide. The actor will soon be seen in Madharaasi, in which he seems to play a character with a mental affliction. He is also shooting for Sudha Kongara’s Parasakthi with Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa and Sreeleela.