Sathyapriya, the actor who played the Superstar’s mother in Baasha , Arvind Swamy’s mother in Roja and Devayani’s mother in Suryavamsam , is back on screen after a two-year break. She has worked in over 300 films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. She has worked in many TV serials, including Kolangal that had a record telecast of over 1,500 episodes. She was last seen in Balaji Mohan’s film Vaayai Moodi Pesavum .
Sathyapriya, who has started shooting for Selva’s Vanangamudi, starring Arvind Swamy and Ritika Singh, says, “It was when director Selva got in touch with me that I realised the industry had assumed I had settled down in the US. But, I had only taken a break to spend time with my son and daughter who are both abroad.” She adds, “When Selva told me that the lead star is Arvind Swamy, I was reminded of Roja , where I played his mother almost 25 years ago. But, in this film I play a completely different role.”
She made her debut when she was hardly 18 in the Hindi film Balak Dhruv (1974). “I played the role of a stepmother in the film, after which I returned to my native Vijayanagaram to pursue a degree in social work. As offers came pouring in from the Telugu industry, I had to discontinue my studies and I shifted base to Madras in 1974. My debut in Tamil was Manjal Mugame Varuga , where I played the female lead along with Vijayakumar. I would have done about 50 films as heroine, and after I got married I chose to leave the industry,” she says.
In 1989 she made her re-entry with a negative character in Radhakrishnan Parthiban’s debut film Pudhiya Paadhai . From then on, she was offered either negative roles or a mother’s character. “Whatever role was offered to me, I adapted well and did it with élan. A vamp’s role is challenging, but a mother’s role is comparatively easy,” adds Sathyapriya who was conferred the Kalaimamani in 2005.
Speaking of roles she is keen on playing now, she says, “I look forward to meaningful roles that provide me an opportunity to perform, even if I appear only in a couple of scenes. Also, I would love to do fun-loving grandmother roles similar to the ones Manorama did. There is a dearth of senior artistes in Kollywood and it is up to the directors to utilise my potential and experience.”