I’m not your regular mass hero, says Jayam Ravi

In conversation with Jayam Ravi, who speaks about Adanga Maru and his career choices

Jayam Ravi in a still from Adanga Maru

It’s rather surprising to listen to a star who is deeply philosophical. Jayam Ravi is the sort of actor who seems to be content with his choice of scripts, irrespective of their results at the box office. With Adanga Maru slated to release this Friday, Ravi sat down to discuss the film and why he likes to do experimental characters. Excerpts:

Adanga Maru is your second release this year after Tik Tik Tik .

I feel it’s a very topical film. We’re talking about one specific issue, hoping to raise awareness among people. I can’t deny the fact that

Adanga Maru isn’t a commercial film. But we’ve tried to maintain a balance.

This is the fourth film where you play a police officer. What explains your fascination for cop films?

( Laughs ) There’s no fascination as such. It’s just that the reach is better, especially when it has a strong social angle. Right from Captain’s (Vijayakanth) era, these films have worked big time. However, Adanga Maru demanded this character — of a pure-hearted police officer who struggles to cope with the system.

How do you show variation in your characters? Do you go by the director’s briefing or come up with your own ideas?

If you look at my previous cop films, every character has had noticeable differences. At the end of the day, it’s the script that pushes me, and I have the responsibility to deliver whatever it demands. Even while shooting, I’m conscious of my character traits.

You’ve done a lot of genre-specific experimentation in your career. Did that happen organically?

At some point, I have to take the risk, or else I would end up repeating myself or certain types of films. Right now, I have the luxury of time and energy. It started on a personal note back in 2007, when I felt that I was being typecast. Peranmai was a big turning point. Also, the directors who approached me wanted to try different genres. The audience, too, has given me the confidence to go ahead with my choices.

There have been a few slips, but you’ve constantly tried to break away from the mould.

Personally, I’m the best critic of myself. I consider the audience to be my father... because every time I go wrong, they say, ‘Hey, it’s not the right path.’ Sometimes, it’s unfortunate with films like Nimirnthu Nil , Peranmai and Aadhi Bhagavan , which I felt should have fared well. I evaluate myself based on my previous experiences.

Even though some of your films fall into the realm of commercial cinema, you haven’t gone out of the way to do a ‘mass’ film.

How do you define ‘mass’? Baasha is a mass film. But it doesn’t go beyond its specified meter. It was the right kind of film when it released. Mouthing punch dialogues alone doesn’t qualify as a mass film. In that sense, I’m not your regular mass hero and I don’t subscribe to it unless it’s organic.

There seems to be a pressure among stars to act in socially-relevant films. But you’ve stayed away from doing a message-driven film.

There are two methods: preaching and sharing. I believe in the latter and I share my thoughts through my films. I don’t have the experience to preach to others. At the same time, we’re not here to make issue-based films. There are other avenues for that.

You’re quite muscular and fit. Has your physicality ever been a hindrance when it comes to playing certain characters?

When I worked on Boologam , people warned me not to because I didn’t have the looks of a typical North Madras boxer. But I did prove them wrong. For my upcoming film, the challenge was to play a schoolboy. I was also hefty when the offer came, and so, I reduced 20 kilograms. Apart from these two instances, I haven’t lost out on films.

Tik Tik Tik made good numbers at the box office. What would have been the scenario had it failed?

It’s not the question of whether the attempt was a success or a failure. Had Miruthan tanked, I wouldn’t have thought of trying new genres. But the result was 50-50. While the children couldn’t watch it, the film worked with the family audience. But I kept thinking of the percentage that liked it. So, we decided to make a film exclusively for children and that’s how Tik Tik Tik was made.

The Hindi version of Tik Tik Tik has crossed more than 10 million views on YouTube. Do you think there’s a market for our films in Bollywood?

Absolutely. I asked my producer to make it as a pan-Indian release. Since Tik Tik Tik was marketed as the first Indian space film, the chances of its acceptance in the Northern belt were high. But unfortunately, he couldn’t release it.

Adanga Maru was supposed to be a solo release. But you have five films releasing this weekend...

The consumption of films has changed over the years. In earlier days, even if you visit the theatre on the 50th day, the film would still be playing. But today, the market itself has shrunk to two weekends, and everybody is eyeing to get their films slotted, which is fair enough. We now have a multiplex audience, which wasn’t there before. It is a complicated issue, but everybody has to survive.