Very few actors’ on-screen personas seem to be an extension of their real lives; Sathyaraj is a perfect example. The jokes and pranks that his films are famous for are reflected in his interviews as well. When asked about giving back-to-back interviews, Sathyaraj laughs and says, “I was answering the same question and after a while, I looked at our production manager and started singing ‘Innum Ennai Enna Seya Pogirai‘But the veteran actor loves to talk about movies and he got down on a nostalgic note with us as he discussed his long filmography.
Excerpts from the conversation:
Your favourite actor MGR worked in ‘Kalai Arasi’ (1963), which was the first Indian film with the concept of aliens and Tamil cinema’s first space film. You have also done a lot of horror films. But there has always been a lack of such experimental films in the fantasy genre…
Making fantasy films is comparatively more expensive and involves many more aspects. Nowadays, it also involves a lot of CG work and it is only after we get the output that we get to know what the final product will look like. Making a fantasy film requires a certain sense of confidence and that is probably the reason we have very few such films. I think Weapon A trend will start.
How different are films like ‘Weapon’ from your other films?
In Weapon, I did what was expected of me, but I am waiting to see the final version of the film to see how it has turned out. I was impressed with the trailer cut and can’t wait for the audience to see it. Weapon This film has so much content that it can be made into its own cinematic universe, concepts we have only seen in Hollywood. Films of this genre are also made keeping children in mind and obviously they have to go to watch the film with their parents. (laughing) If it becomes a franchise, it will become a comfortable place for senior actors like me and actors like Harrison Ford.Indiana Jones Film series.
Sathyaraj and director Guhan Senniappan in a scene from ‘Weapon’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
I was pleasantly surprised by the producer’s conviction in this project. To be honest, I know I am not a saleable actor who can have a film made around me; I am just a busy character artiste. Even though I am comfortable with the kind of roles I am getting in films, they have their own lead actors who decide the business of that film, I don’t know how the film will turn out with me in the lead role. I am grateful for the producer’s faith.
Is it easy to pre-visualise such a film during narration?
On the very first day of shooting, I was asked to prepare for an action sequence and I thought it would be a normal sequence. But they shot it impressively for a week and that gave me confidence about the film. With Goundamani, I have always done family drama films. Anna And Manivannan was so clear that even at the narration stage we knew which parts would make people laugh, cry or clap. WeaponWe get to know about it only after seeing the final product and the credit goes to the creativity of the director and the fearlessness of the producer.
At that time, someone like P Vasu sir would narrate emotional scenes, which would bring actors like me and Prabhu to tears. Filmmakers like Manivannan would have clear ideas or someone like R Sundarrajan would sing while narrating the script, and we knew that Ilaiyaraaja would come up with some good tracks. If he could handle most of the heavy work, Goundamani’s comedy could handle another big part. I had pillars like them on whom I could rely, but films like Weapon Which are set around my character, providing a new and incredible experience.
Where does this understanding and self-awareness of your market come from?
I have been in this industry for 46 years… but I don’t think I will be able to set a good example for others. Everyone can enter a new work with full confidence, but I do it with uncertainty (Laughs) Maybe that’s why I am always relaxed. 47 years ago, before I moved to Chennai, my friends used to tease me and ask if I would be like MGR and Sivaji. I just wanted to give it a shot and even if acting didn’t work out, I knew I could become a production manager or something like that. A successful venture is nice, but I am always prepared for the worst.
My initial idea was to get small roles and I would get paid around Rs 5000 per film, which would probably be equivalent to Rs 1 lakh in today’s time. I didn’t know that I would become a trendsetting villain who would do over a hundred films as a hero! Learning to understand the mentality of (That was more my mindset). In the mid-2000s, I was struggling as a lead actor and kept getting character roles that would pay me five times more than what I would get as a hero… but I kept rejecting them. When the ship finally grounded and I was forced to land, I started getting various character roles which have continued for the last 15 years. There is a huge difference between the two Bahubali Sathyaraj and today’s loveSathyaraj.
In fact, this is the day when Weapon I also have a Hindi film releasing, MunjyaIn which I have done a completely comedy role. I may be known in the South, but people in the North know me for Katappa which was a serious character; I was surprised that they thought of me as a comic character! When I asked, he told me that the initial funny parts of the film bahubali 2 Reassured them.
You had nine releases in the lead role in 1987, a year after you became a hero. Why is it a challenge for actors to do so now and where do you see it going?
When it comes to top actors’ films, they take a lot of time to be made. The next level of actors suffer with just one unsuccessful film. When I used to play the hero, things were different; my films Makkal N Pakkam And Alappirandhavan Came out the same day. Alappirandhavan was a complete flop but Makkal N Pakkam It lasted for 150 days.Kadalora Kavithaigal which ran for 25 weeks and released simultaneously Dharmam; a lot of people don’t even know it exists. So we always had a hit film immediately following a bad film.
Sathyaraj in a scene from ‘Weapon’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Your 125th film ‘Villadhi Villain’, which is also your only directorial venture, was a huge hit. Why didn’t you return to the director’s chair again?
Since I was busy with acting at that stage of my career, I continued with acting. I have made a lot of mistakes in my career and one of them was that I did not continue with direction. Vile villainIt was a hit and if director Sathyaraj had remained active, they could have maintained the sales of Nayak Sathyaraj. I don’t know if I can return to direction now; it requires a director Pradeep Ranganathan who understands the pulse of the new generation audience gives them a chance to showcase it. The other option could be to form a team, but I don’t have the space to do that because of my acting commitments.
You commented on the rumours of a Narendra Modi biopic, and how interested would you be if directors like Pa Ranjith, Mari Selvaraj or Vetri Maaran took up the project. Speaking of that, what are your future projects and is it true that you are a part of Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Coolie’?
Being a part of the biopic was a fake news and I don’t know how it spread. I think someone made a collage of both our pictures and found that they looked similar and that’s how the rumours started.
The work of these new age directors is very welcome as showing the ground reality is of utmost importance. A simple line stressing the importance of education Asuran had a greater impact than anything else. Coming from a privileged family, I have seen the enormous growth of the families of workers in three generations… I saw the next generation of manual labourers become officers and their relatives go abroad and become doctors. This growth is important for the development of society.
I was at the audio launch of a film when I was asked if I was a part of it? CoolieI declined to comment as an official confirmation from the makers was yet to come. Then someone in the crowd said that the announcement had already been made that day. I replied that if the news was out, I would be happy to accept that I am a part of it. I am also not well versed with social media and am unaware of the authenticity of posts seen online. The same evening, I learnt that no such official announcement had been made.
I have around eight films and a few web series that are at different stages. It has already been announced that I am a part of some of them like Mazhai PidiKatha Manithan And Valli Mayilas well as web series like GangsApart from three Telugu films and a Hindi film that I am going to start working on soon, I have also signed contracts for three Tamil series. The announcements will be made by the producers soon and I cannot do that; these corporate agreements are so big that they can serve as a cushion. If I am someone who does not come to the shoot regularly, I would worry about other clauses, but since I come, I just look at the page that mentions the salary and sign it!
