Why Sarath Kumar can’t stop playing cops: ‘They see me in a space akin to Denzel Washington’

Ahead of the trailer release of ‘Paramporul,’ actors Sarath Kumar, Amithash, and director Aravind Raj speak about what intrigued them about the world of idol smuggling that is explored in the film

The pressure to follow up on a successful film is always a good problem to have. Actor Sarath Kumar, ahead of the release of Paramporul, is in one such situation; he now has to compete with the glory of the investigative thriller Por Thozhil. “A medium-budget film like Por Thozhil earning around Rs 60 crores is not an easy feat. There will be fear of comparison naturally, but we hope and wish audiences will watch each of the films without comparing them,” says the actor.

It isn’t just the comparison with Por Thozhil that Sarath is wary about. Most of his upcoming films again see him donning the khaki, but he assures that each of those roles is drastically different from the other.

“I did Irai, in which I played a cop battling with his personal life, similar to Por Thozhil’s Loganathan. However, Loganathan was upright and clear with his investigation. In my upcoming film Hit List, I play a tough cop. I accepted it because Vikraman’s son is introduced in the film and they requested me to do the role. Meanwhile, in Criminal, I play a cop with a grey-shade and it felt good to share the screen with Gautham Karthik after acting with his father Karthik. Whereas, in The Smile Man, I play a retired cop with Alzheimer’s; Naa Naa is a different cop story as well.”

Sarath says that post his sabbatical from acting, he kept getting cop roles he couldn’t say no to. “Perhaps they saw me in a space akin to Denzel Washington, but yeah, my passion to work propelled me to accept these roles.

In Paramporul, directed by debutant C Aravind Raj, Sarath plays Maitreyi, a cop who is put in a situation where he begins to think, “If the system itself is corrupt, why should I be ethical?’” The film delves into the world of idol smuggling and has Sarath star opposite actor Amithash. “It’s a unique story set at a select backdrop and Aravind was very clear with what he wanted to communicate.” The role gave ample space for him to perform, adds the veteran. “It’s a multi-layered character and so it comes across as both jovial and serious at times. The way my friendship with Amithash’s character Aadhi influences the plot is something intriguing.”

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For Amithash, Paramporul is his first in Tamil as a protagonist, and the actor is glad to have shared the screen with someone like Sarath Kumar. “He’s such a supportive co-actor; for instance, when performing with a senior actor, we might hesitate a bit to take multiple takes but he would understand that.”