Kannada actor Sathish Ninasam shot to fame with a starring role in the acclaimed film Lucia (2013). Since then, Sathish’s career has progressed steadily — from his days as a supporting artiste to now acting in films he produces, he has come a long way.
One of the few actors to have established himself in mainstream cinema whilst hailing from a theatre background — a product of Ninasam, which is an acronym of Nilakanteshwara Natyaseva Sangha, a popular cultural and theatre arts organisation located in Shivamogga district of Karnataka — Sathish is now all set to make his debut in Tamil cinema with Pagaivanukku Arulvai . Directed by Anis, the film stars Sasikumar, Vani Bhojan, Bindhu Madhavi, Hareesh Peradi and others besides Sathish. We caught up with the Kannada actor on the set of Pagaivanukku Arulvai .
Edited excerpts from an interview:
It is your debut Tamil film. What made you sign the project?
The film is an adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth . That was the main reason for me to take it up because I am a theatre student. I have played and been a part of several Shakespearean productions whilst I was a student at Ninasam.
Besides, it is great to be working alongside a great director like Sasikumar in an acting capacity. I have watched Subramaniapuram in awe; I am a big fan of many of his other films like Sundarapandian and Poraali , some of which have been remade in Kannada cinema and went on to become hits.
Tell us about the character you play in Pagaivanukku Arulvai .
I play a ruffian by the name ‘Aaduthotti’ Ravi. He comes from the lower strata of our society and is jailed after being convicted in a case. What happened in his life, how he meets Sasikumar in jail and what happens later forms the rest of the story. The director (Anis) has adapted Macbeth with a realistic story.
Do you suppose cultural exchange — in terms of actors crossing language barriers in film industries for work — happens more often these days?
I am in Chennai now and filming this project because of Lucia . Anis saw the film and texted me all those years ago. Pagaivanukku Arulvai is a result of a seven year journey, so to speak. I wanted to know what it is like working in the Tamil film industry.
Having said that, cultural exchange has always happened between the South Indian film industries... even from the days of Dr Rajkumar. Now with ₹100 crore budget films (like KGF ) being made, there will be more of the exchange happening.
Will you be dubbing your portions in the Tamil film?
My Tamil is decent. It is English what I struggle with ( laughs ). I am rehearsing my dialogues every day, transcribing it in Kannada and working out the pronunciations. Pagaivanukku Arulvai will also be released in Kannada, so it will have a wider reach.
Can you tell us about your future projects?
I have completed Godhra with Shraddha Srinath, it is likely to release in March. I have completed half of another Kannada film that was shot in London. There is Petromax , which is my own production, and for which songs remain to be shot. After I finish this schedule of Pagaivanukku Arulvai , I will start filming my next Kannada film Matinee .
