Sathyaraj interview: On the Narendra Modi biopic, his new film ‘Weapon’ and taking up filmmaking again

Veteran actor Sathyaraj talks about his upcoming Tamil film ‘Weapon,’ the reason for the lack of experimental films and the rumoured Narendra Modi biopic

Very few actors’ on-screen persona feel like an extension of their real-life selves; Sathyaraj is a textbook example of that. The jokes and banter his films are famous for, also seep into interviews with him. When asked on giving back-to-back interviews, a laughing Sathyaraj goes, “I was answering the same questions and after a while, I began looking at our production manager and started singing ‘Innum Ennai Enna Seiya Pogirai’.” But the veteran actor loves talking about films and takes a trip down memory lane along with us to discuss his extensive filmography.

Excerpts from the conversation:

Fantasy films are comparatively more expensive to make and many more aspects come into play. Nowadays, it also involves a lot of CG work and only after receiving the output do we know what the final product looks like. It needs a certain sense of confidence to pull off a fantasy film and that’s probably the reason we have had far and few in between. I feel Weapon will start a trend.

In Weapon, I have done what was expected from me, but I am waiting to see the final version of the film to see how it has panned out. I was impressed with the trailer cut and can’t wait to watch it as one among the audience. Weapon has enough material to have its own cinematic universe, concepts we have only seen in Hollywood. This genre of films also caters to children and they obviously have to be accompanied by parents (laughs). If this turns out to be a franchise, it will become a comfortable space for senior actors like me, akin to Harrison Ford in theIndiana Jones film series.

I was pleasantly taken aback by the producer’s conviction with this project. To be honest, I know I’m not a saleable actor to centre a film around me; I’m just a busy character artist. Despite being cosy with the type of roles I have been getting in films with their own lead actors who decide that film’s business, I don’t know what a film featuring me in the lead would be like. I owe it to the producer’s trust.

On the very first day of shoot, I was told to prepare for an action sequence and I thought it would be another run-of-the-mill one. But they impressively shot it for a week and that gave me confidence with this film. The usual family dramas that I used to do with Goundamani anna and Manivannan were so discernible that even during the narration stage we knew the segments that would make people laugh, cry or clap. In films like Weapon, we know about it only after seeing the final product and credit has to go to the director’s creativity and producer’s intrepidity.

Back then, someone like P Vasu sir narrating an emotional sequence would reduce me and actors like Prabhu to tears. Filmmakers like Manivannan would have clear-cut ideas or someone like R Sundarrajan would sing while narrating the script, and we knew Ilaiyaraaja would deliver some nice tracks. If that could handle the majority of the heavy lifting, Goundamani’s comedy would take care of another major chunk. I had pillars like them to bank on, but films like Weapon that are mounted around my character make for a new and unbelievable experience.