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"It was a risk worth taking"- Suman
When he made his debut in films, he was one of the most popular and promising actors in the industry. He was handsome, tall, well-trained in martial arts and was an excellent dancer. But, he got himself into big troubles and had to stay away from the industry for a long time. He did return but frankly, wasn't able to recreate the kind of fan frenzy that he initially had.
On his comeback, he confined himself to playing character roles. His specialty was playing God in mythological films. The role suited his looks and the audience loved him. It looked as if he just might end up "playing God" for the rest of his career when he got an offer to play the villain role in 'Shivaji'.
Suman had all the reasons to believe that the film would be as good as a relaunch for him. One of the most popular actors in India, Rajinikanth was the hero. Shankar was directing it and AVM was the producer.
"Nothing could go wrong with that kind of combination," he said.
Tell us something about Shankar.
He is a wonderful person- simple and down-to-earth. He's a world-class director. He doesn't compromise when it comes to getting exactly what he wanted. He makes sure that the artiste understands what he is looking for.
What was special about your role?
I had no makeup in the film except the hairgel to smoothen my hair. Somehow, that enhanced the viciousness and naturalness of the character. The director had asked me to wear sunglasses throughout the film. It was difficult to emote with them because they blocked the eyes. I had to emote with the facial muscles. Shankar was the one who taught me how to do that.
Rajinikanth?
We had been friends ever since I started working in Tamil. Though we knew each other, we never stayed frequently in touch. Shivaji' helped us revive the friendship. He could teach anyone a lesson or two when it comes to dedication to work. When he's on the sets, work is his sole priority. He knows a lot about everything. Philosophy is one of his favorite subjects.
Weren't you worried that you were giving exclusive callsheets for more than a year for 'Shivaji'?
It is true that due to the schedules, I had to miss quite a number of other offers but I knew that it was a risk worth taking because the film had all the potentials to change my career forever.
Tell us something about your career so far.
Frankly, I was never thinking about getting into films or making a career out of it. When the director of the Tamil film 'Swimming Pool' approached me, I simply accepted the offer because my friends thought that I might as well give it a try. But soon I began to get other good offers too. That was when I thought, 'Why not?' 'Iddaru Khiladilu' was my first film in Telugu, though the first release was 'Tharangini'. It became a blockbuster hit. I had played the role of God in 'Annamaya', 'Sathyanarayana Swami' and 'Shri Ramadasu'. 'Shivaji' was a break of a different kind.
You are a veteran of more than 3 decades of films. What, according to you, makes a good film?
If you ask me, films are meant for relaxation. But I personally feel that films today aren't propagating good messages. I hope this changes in future. There was once a time when you wouldn't be able to survive in the industry unless you have a close relative in the film industry. Values are changing. Still, there is no substitute to hard work and dedication.
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