Spirited act

Veteran actor Radha Ravi tells Sudhir Srinivasan he considers his role in Pisasu to be his best ever and Mysskin to be the most unique director he has ever worked with

Radha Ravi in Pisasu.

General Secretary of the South Indian Film Artistes’ Association. President of the Dubbing Union. And yet, an actor so desperate to prove himself even after 41 years in the Tamil industry. Radha Ravi talks in the only way he knows — by wearing his heart on his sleeve…

It’s great that an old-timer like you, if I can call you that, has made such a smooth transition to contemporary cinema, as evident from your acclaimed roles in SoodhuKavvum and the recent Pisasu .

When I’m given a role, I’m consumed by a passion to bring to life a character that exists only on paper. I mull over the character for days and internalise his feelings. It doesn’t matter if I have experienced actors alongside, or novices. It doesn’t matter if the director is one film old or a hundred. All I’m interested in is doing justice to the role.

As for my recent successful roles, I also received much praise for

Ramanujan — again, as a character artiste. It’s a pity I have been stereotyped as a villain.

Do you still have people approaching you to play villainous roles?

Absolutely. Many have forgotten that I come from a theatre background, and that I can do comedy too. Sometimes, even before directors explain a character to me, I know they have approached me only because they think a villain is all I can play — “

Radha Ravi morappaa pannuvaar .” In fact, so fed up of these roles was I that I turned down

Muthu . It was only after Rajini requested me that I relented.

In that film, I play the villainous rich uncle of the zamindar. I’m supposed to boss over Rajini’s character, a servant, in a scene. During shooting, I said, “ Dei Muthu!” Immediately, a few people around looked aghast and wanted me to avoid saying ‘ Dei ’ when addressing Rajini’s character. I found it ridiculous and approached the man himself, and learned he had no problem with it. Suththi irukravanga panra build-up dhaan sir.

Mysskin is most unique. He breathes cinema and is thankfully a person who doesn’t get influenced by others’ judgments. After all, he’d already been told I was difficult to work with.

Really? Do you know why people hold that opinion?

I ask questions… a lot. When a director narrates a character, I find it normal to ask questions about the character’s background, mood swings, eccentricities, behaviour... I do this to make my performance relatable. Directors who don’t know their characters well find it difficult to answer these questions, and hence, find me annoying.

It must have been quite a surprise then when Mysskin offered you the part of an agonising father.

Yes, but it was even more surprising that he came home to narrate the script. In this day, no director visits an actor to discuss a film. I was moved.

I was also surprised to see the stack of books at his home, when I visited him later. It’s no wonder he’s among the smarter directors we have today. You don’t have to read those books; just sleeping around them will make you smart, I think. ( Laughs )

How did you prep to play such a devastated character?

As far as appearance is concerned, I shaved my head every day during the shoot. Only then would my look with the wig be believable. I borrowed the idea for the wig from a Chinese actor in a recent film ( Tenaliraman) I acted in. Mysskin loved it. The glasses I wear were his choice though.

As I play a grieving father, I felt my walk had to be sluggish. My posture had to be rather slouched. As you can see in the film, even when I run, I drag my feet a bit, to convey the character’s lack of energy. During dubbing, I saw to it that my voice broke during a few lines. Some directors may have asked me to redo the dubbing after making me clear my throat, but Mysskin, thankfully, understood the point.

You were phenomenal in that gut-wrenching scene that has you on all fours in Pisasu .

Thank you. In my 41 years in cinema, this is the first time I’ve been offered such a poignant character and such a scene. I realised its potential the moment I read it in the script. All through the shooting, I was waiting for the day when we’d do this scene. During the making of the scene, I even scratched my leg against the sharp corner of a table and bled. I crawled with a knee that was operated upon. The scene was worth the pain. I told my daughter Rekha to not watch the film, as I knew she’d break down in tears. She watched it, and cried a lot… even after coming home.

Did you require many retakes for that scene?

No. Just that one and it was done. That was how much I had internalised the character. However, there was another scene that required 10 retakes. Mysskin called me the following day and apologised for making me redo the scene so many times. I was impressed. Who takes time out to say such things in these competitive times?

Did Mysskin lure you into this film by narrating that single, powerful scene?

( Laughs ) He told me at the very beginning that I’d be doing four-five scenes in Pisasu . But I realised that despite my sporadic appearances, I am the core. Without my character, there’s no story. That’s why I couldn’t care less about worsening my spondylitis for the climax sequence that required me to stand on ice for almost two hours.

Worsening your spondylitis… scraping a knee… you seem to have really put your body on the line.

My wife was quite pained to see what I’d done for Pisasu . She asked me why I was hurting myself for the sake of this film. I told her Pisasu was worth it because it is not just a film… it is a good film.