RJ Balaji and a still from ‘Sorgavaasal’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
RJ Balaji is not one to forget his humble beginnings. His office is filled with awards and memorabilia he received in his past life as a radio jockey before becoming an actor-director. His earlier experiences on the road to achieving stardom are nuggets he shares in his interactions for his upcoming film Sorgavaasal.Excerpts from the conversation:
After a slew of comedy films some of which you even co-directed, you ventured into the serious films category with ‘Run Baby Run’. How was it to transition to serious films?
I’ve directed two films (Mookuthi Ammanand Veetla Vishesham) and wrote and almost co-directed one film (LKG). I realised I liked to act more as it takes close to two years to direct a film. I wanted to direct family entertainers and star in films that are genre-centric. Run Baby Run was one such experiment. While it’s not a cult classic, I liked it and we did it for the OTT space. We later had to release theatrically as well.
‘Sorgavaasal’ also seems to be a raw and rustic film.
Sorgavaasal was made for a different actor but the team and its producer who is also a friend of mine, were in two minds whether to go ahead with that actor and asked for my feedback. I liked the story; it’s about a guy stuck in jail due to circumstances. The hero they had chosen initially has a well-built physique that wouldn’t invoke the sense of helplessness the character possesses. They were shocked when I said I liked the script and would like to do it. It’s because they had a general perception that I only do fun, commercial entertainers. They called Sorgavaasal a raw, action film but I saw it as an emotional drama with action sequences. Music director Anirudh is a long-time associate of the producer and I was told that he said I was the best thing to happen to Sorgavaasal.
The film initially had a lot of action but after I got in, they were willing to rework it and bring more emotion. I did not want a film in which I fight 10 people as I don’t have a body of work where I could do that. That’s not what my films are watched for. The collaborative effort brought in a sense of vulnerability to the character I play. That process spilt over to the casting as well and we could bring in actors like Selvaraghavan sir, Balaji Sakthivel sir, Sharaf U Dheen, Hakkim Shah and Sudani from Nigeria-fame Samuel Abiola Robinson.
RJ Balaji and Saniya Iyappan in a still from ‘Sorgavaasal’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
You began as a radio jockey, got into acting as a comedian, became a cricket commentator, started doing lead roles and are now directing Suriya’s next. Do you see redefining yourself as a journey or a destination?
I had no destination in the past, now or in the future. At the end of my career, I know my destination will be completely different from where I began. Like every normal middle-class guy who loves cinema, I took up the chance to act after being recognised for my work in radio. Only after taking up a role, I learnt that what I would generally make in a year was given as a salary for 10 days of work. After making this a profession, I wanted to do a good job at it and took a break from acting. Before LKG, I realised I liked writing a story more than filming it as it was chaotic to handle hundreds of people. I used to shout a lot, unable to take the pressure. But when Mookuthi Amman happened, I enjoyed making a film and became quiet on the set. Run Baby Run might not be a memorable film in terms of its box office returns but it gave me the confidence that the audience didn’t mind seeing me in a role where I’m quiet. I prefer not having long-term goals and do a good job of what I’m currently occupied with.
Do you think Tamil cinema is moving towards a more genre-specific space?
Poovizhi Vasalile was a complete thriller while Kadhalukku Mariyadhai was a romance; genre-specific films have always been there and if they are good, they do well. Mookuthi Amman is no cult classic but it became a comfort watch for many; even Gautam Karthik would often ping telling me he’s rewatching it. That’s why I wanted to do another family film and Veetla Vishesham happened. But in hindsight, I shouldn’t have taken a rigid call on what films I should stick to doing and allowed me to explore. Though it’s a remake, I still consider Veetla Vishesham to be my best as a writer. I believe we did a better job writing it than the Hindi version but I can’t bring in scale and grandeur for a film about an elderly mother becoming pregnant. So I’ve decided to focus on what I’m doing currently and if it’s received well, it will open new doors filled with surprises which I don’t want to avoid.
After co-directing two films, at what point did you decide to direct on your own, especially when your next venture is Suriya’s 45th film?
With Saravanan sir who I co-directed Mookuthi Amman and Veetla Vishesham with, it was a collection of two thoughts. I had a fear of helming a film on my own which disappeared after Mookuthi Amman. But it was fun working with Saravanan who was the opposite of me; I was spry like Kohli while he was patient like Dhoni. Then, he wanted to do his own film and I moved on to act. With Suriya sir’s film, I feel I’m more evolved as a filmmaker. Compared to my LKGdays, my ability to handle a big star with my writing and aesthetics has improved.
RJ Balaji and Balaji Sakthivel in a still from ‘Sorgavaasal’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Suriya 45is my next scale in the world of cinema and it’s not just because of Suriya sir; the scale of writing is higher. We wrote this film for months without knowing how or what it would develop into. It started with an idea I cracked and my team liked it as the idea as a concept is huge. We are working on it to visually present this idea in a good manner.
How is it to collaborate with AR Rahman for ‘Suriya 45’?
During the audio launch of Kaatru Veliyidai, Mani Ratnam sir told me to release a song. I couldn’t believe it. During lockdown, I had Rahman sir as a guest for my podcast and though it was supposed to happen for 10 minutes, we spoke for 90 minutes. I feel it’s one of his best interviews in the last few decades. That’s also when he said he had watched Mookuthi Amman and he liked it which came as a pleasant surprise.
He later invited me through his team for a screening of his film Le Musk and after the screening, I was surprised when I was told he wanted to meet me. We spoke for two hours and I was feeling guilty taking up his time because I could see multiple screens in the background which showed the amount of work he had, but he made me stay for hours. I told him I was working on something and if it all worked out, I’d come back to him. Much before it became Suriya sir’s 45th film, I met Rahman sir and narrated the idea. A couple of days later, he got on a video call with me and said he liked the idea and wanted to be a part of my vision. More than working with Rahman sir, his word became an accreditation to whatever I have done till now. I’m eagerly looking forward to the process of working with him.
Circling back to your earlier days as an actor, how has this journey been?
My earlier films gave me a sense of insecurity. As a supporting actor, I was told to randomly throw a line during the take. I would say something that was trending then. There were a lot like me who got caught in this trend of playing the hero’s friend which Santhanam sir perfected for 10-15 years. After he became a hero and that place fell vacant, many tried to fit actors in that space. The concept of a hero’s friend also stopped working as films like Maanagaram, Jigarthanda and Mundasupatti came up with humour laced within the story. I’m glad films like Sorgavaasal and Happy Ending are coming my way after working six years as the lead. From here, the idea is to pick up and go from strength to strength and I believe Sorgavaasal will be a good starting point for that.
Sorgavaasal is releasing in theatres on November 29, 2024
Published – November 26, 2024 05:34 pm IST
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