After a long hiatus, Janagaraj is making a comeback in Kollywood, with the yet-to-be-titled directorial debut of Vijay Sri G. “I hope the second innings will be on par with the first one,” he says.
Janagaraj says he exited Kollywood for compelling reasons. “Two factors undid me – the first being my health, and the second factor was me wanting to spend time with my only son during his formative years. Thankfully, all is fine now on both counts.”
It’s been more than a decade since his last film, King, released. Janagaraj says offers never dried up, “but I was just waiting for the right one. The seasoned producers still had an eye on me, but what made me pick the offer of Vijay Sri was the storyline, which was daringly different. I play a retired military officer who confronts a don played by Charu Hassan. The theme of the film impressed me, and one of the highlights is that none of the artists in the film wear make-up.”
Speaking of the present-day comedy scenario, Janagaraj says, “During my days, comedy fit in with the script. A separate comedy track was not entertained. Comedians are turning into heroes today as they are bored with the monotony.”
Did he ever think about hero-centric roles even when he was riding high on popularity? “I couldn’t have thought on those lines. I was not blessed with such a face, but producers thought of me as ideal material to dish out their brand of comedy.”
Any memorable roles? “My pick will be the inspector act in Aboorva Sagodharargal. Body language should speak for the comedian.”
Janagaraj says he has been inspired by Peter Sellers. “It had rubbed off on me before I knew it. Much like Sellers, I always liked to keep it simple and not play to the gallery. The ultimate compliment was when a fan said he bought a ticket only for me.”
The other favourite line of Janagaraj is from a lesser-known movie, Valayal Satham. “To the lines of “ Vachavalum Sariyilla, Vandavalum Sariyilla” , I had the cheek to add, “ Pakkathu Vittukariyum Sariyilla ,” he chuckles.
