Kattappa has given me a new identity: Sathyaraj

As a hero, villain or a character artiste, Sathyaraj has done them with a rare sense of finesse. His massive screen presence as Kattappa in the SS Rajamouli-helmed multiple-award winner ‘Baahubali’ has been the talk of the town as much as the film was for its cinematic excellence.

When it comes to proven versatility Sathyaraj is up there among the finest of the contemporary actors, thanks to the volume of work in a career spanning almost 38 years.

Having portrayed almost every role under the sun, he is to be seen as a ghost in ‘Dora’. “I am playing the titular role in the ghost-based thriller that is interlaced with a bit of satire,’ the actor informs.

Making light of the challenges in playing a ghost, he actually surprises you while contending, “contrary to general perceptions, it is rather comfortable given that nobody has seen a ghost, which is only in a state-of-the-mind. There is no logic, per se, which is not so when I play a police officer or a don. Nobody knows how ghosts behave so I had full freedom.”

Incidentally, ‘Dora’, despite the ghostly characters, has patriotic overtones. “There is another ghost named Steven, who is British. It is a fight between him and the Indian ghost that I play. In Tamil, the film is titled ‘Steven Dorai’. And the actor who played the role of British ghost is an English actor.”

Meanwhile, he dismissed charges that he had promoted his son Sibi Sathyaraj for the lead role. “As a thoroughbred professional, I don’t indulge in such promotions. Sibi has earned a name for himself having been in the industry for over a decade.”

A lot of young directors are coming up with new and interesting roles and Sathyaraj states that he is happy that he is getting a multitude of roles these days. “Tamil and Telugu directors are coming with diverse characters and they are approaching me. The director should trust an actor’s abilities for him to come up with his best. It is a sentiment echoed even by Amitabh Bachchan,” he points out.

Talking about ‘Baahubali: The conclusion’ he says, “My role in the second part is more than what it was in the first. There are a lot of shades to it.”
The stock of Sathyaraj skyrocketed after his Kattappa performance, which he says has been a life changer. “I like being identified with Kattappa. It seems like most are oblivious of my actual name.

“Its success has caught everyone. Now we have a Tamil film ‘Kattappa Kanam' that is scheduled for a release. Sibi is the hero but I am not in the film,” he adds. “Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?” was the topic of an intense nationwide debate.

The actor has his own take. “I am enjoying those memes because in Tamil, memes revolve around political satire. For instance, ‘Amaidhi Padai’ the Tamil film in which I was the hero was remade in Telugu as ‘M. Dharmaraju M.A’ with Mohan Babu. On that count ‘Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?” makes for an amusing phase of my life.’’

Despite a belated foray into Tollywood, he is quite an authority when it comes to comparing it with Tamil. “At the ground level there is almost a similar pattern. Technicians are virtually the same. So there is not much of a difference, except perhaps in terms of acting and presenting a theme and locations.”

His immediate future projects in Telugu include an untitled Santhosh Srinivas film with Ram.“It revolves around father and son relationship that is presented in a humorous manner.” Although he has acted in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer, ‘Chennai Express’, Bollywood is a big ‘no’ for him as he feels he is too old to pick up a new language.

“I am like that ‘Taare Zameen Par’ child (laughs). Picking up languages is very difficult for me. Having turned 61 and no getting any younger, learning a new language is certainly a near-improbable aspiration.”

His sense of humour is what makes him special. “I am very comfortable with prompting. If prompted well, I can act in Russian films also (laughs).” That’s Sathyaraj, who has survived in a ruthlessly competitive industry and the stranglehold enjoyed by matinee idols of extraordinary calibre, with his acting skills.

By Navin Pivhal