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Coming to films, you're getting some interesting characters nowadays. How do younger directors see veterans like you?
They are comfortable working with me as I'm like an open book. And they don't come to me only for comedy . In fact, they say , `We can give you any roles sir'. But most character artists today lack variety .If there are 10 films, you need 10 different artists today, whereas in those days, a SV Ranga Rao would have done all the 10 roles himself and still made them different. This is the same case for the heroes as well. That's why we are today getting a new hero every few days. And this is why I keep speaking about Sivaji Ganesan.Show me one actor in India currently who can do a Kattabomman, a VOC, a Vietnam Veedu, a Galatta Kalyanam and a Thiruvilayadal.
Is that why you have written a book on him?
I've acted in 33 films with him, and I've observed him from close quarters. My wife used to remark, `Polambitte irukeengale avara paththi! Why don't you put it all in the form of a book?' I wrote it as a series for a Tamil daily for 25 weeks, but I had so much more to share. The series received a good response and that emboldened me. So, I expanded on what I wrote and readied a book. I'm very glad that another legend, Kannadasan's pub lishing house is releasing it. TS Narayanaswamy , who co-wrote Sivaji's autobiography , called me and said that after the autobiography , this is going to be the most useful book on Sivaji.
So, do you remember the moment you discovered Sivaji Ganesan as a fan?
Padikkadha Medhai was the film when I first noticed him as an actor. I was 10 or 11 years old then. My mother held a show of the film for her ladies club. The way he delineated the character struck me most. He was a friend of the family , and I was used to seeing him. So, I was amazed - can a man transform himself and act like this? That was an Oscar-worthy performance. Unfortunately , he was born south of the Vindhyas and so he did not get the recognition he deserved.
How did your association with him begin?
He adapted one of our plays, Petraldhaan Pillaya, into a movie. This was the drama in which I first started acting. The story was about two heroes and I played the younger version of one of the heroes. I was supposed to do the same role in the film and was so thrilled because I was in awe of him after having watched Padikkadha Medhai.Unfortunately , they made it into a story about two heroines! My mom used to say that I cried at home and even offered to dress-up as a girl to act in the film. That film was Paar Magale Paar. He used to come to our plays and appreciate me in those days. I'm especially proud that he adapted four of our plays into films -Arivaali, Petraaldhaan Pillaya which was turned into Paar Magale Paar, Kannan Vandhaan which became Gouravam, and Paritchaikku Neramachu. Gauravam, which they made in 1970, was the first film in which I acted alongside him. And then, I got my lifetime role with Paritchaikku Neramachu.
Do you remember your first day's shoot with him?
I didn't have any fear on the first day because he was close to the family .I had some nervousness but he told me, `Don't be nervous. Just act naturally without any inhibition'. And the confidence I had got from my stage experience helped me then. He had a way of encouraging you and getting the best out of you. He told me to come for the entire shoot because it was an adaptation of our play and he wanted me to ensure that we don't leave anything from the stage version.
Is it because he was also from the stage?
Yes, and he was an actor who did stage plays even when he was at his peak in films. He wouldn't accept any film shoots after 2 pm on the days he had a play . He was a perfectionist and needed to get into the spirit of the stage. If you've seen him on stage, you will realize what he did in cinema was nothing compared to that. Along with my father and Pattu, who founded our troupe together, SV Sahasranamam, Sivaji Ganesan and Nagesh from K Balachander's plays are my role models when it comes to the stage.Sivaji sir also had a great respect for stage artists and his discipline was something else. I generally used to go to his home often and chat with him.
During 97-98, I'd gone to his house one evening with Typist Gopu. He asked his wife to bring us coffee and then, told us, `Why just coffee, better have dinner here.' But we declined and said, `Sorry sir, we have a play at 6.45 pm.' Instantly , he grabbed us both, dragged us to the front of his house, shoved us into the car and told us, `What business do you have here when you have a play in half-an-hour? Just because YGP is no more, do you think you can run the troupe however you want?' I was like, `Sir, you'd told for coffee...' and he roared, `You won''t even get a drop of water. Just run to the stage.' That was his love for the stage. Today , my troupe members troop in by 6.50 pm for a 7 pm play and even if I tell them of this incident, they don't understand. That was how much he respected the stage.
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