I love being an actor; I have a legacy to fall back on: SJ Suryah

SJ Suryah is in a very special place when it comes to his audience. Those born in the 1970s and 1980s and who adulted in the 1990s know him as the director of superhits such as ‘Vaali’ and ‘Khushi’ and someone whose films had chartbuster songs.

Gen Z, on the other hand, sees in him an actor who has charmed them with his histrionics, one-liners and exaggerated facial expressions. He can be supremely mean on screen (‘Spyder’, ‘Maanadu’ and ‘Nenjam Marappadhillai’) and also often provides them with rich content for memes and gifs. In their language, he’s meme gold.

But there’s another Suryah not many know about. The man who experienced a dizzying rise, working with the best names, and slid into a period of terrible low from 2009 to 2015 (barring a guest role in ‘Nanban’), before resurfacing again. That Suryah is the fighter, the man who kept bettering his craft even when there seemed to be no hope on the horizon.

That is the Suryah you don’t see on screen. But the lessons life taught him have smoothened the edges of his craft, and helped him show a certain tenderness in films such as ‘Iraivi’ and ‘Monster’. His Arul in ‘Iraivi’ wins even as he chooses to let his wife and child move on, and in ‘Monster’, his Anjanam Azhagiya Pillai, the kind-to-a-fault Vallalar devotee, does well by the mouse that turns his life upside down.

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Now, Suryah is back with Radha Mohan’s ‘Bommai’, in a role that might seemingly tread on familiar ground — love and obsession — but with a twist: the object of adoration is a doll. The trailer and the sneak peek have got everyone interested in the story of a man in love with a doll. Teaming up with him is Priya Bhavani Shankar, who was the perfect perky foil to his innocent and ramrod-straight character in ‘Monster’. The film release on June 16.

In a brief conversation after a day packed with promotional interviews, Suryah speaks to The Federal about his career, the joy of having fans across generations, and more. Excerpts from the interview:

Not many actors and directors get the kind of audience love you’ve received, across generations. They were waiting for you to do well…

That’s true. Two sets of people were batting for me — those who knew me as a director and those who knew me as an actor and then discovered what I’d directed. I think this is a great thing, this expectation-filled love. I am glad I am slowly fulfilling their expectations. After all, this is what gives performers joy.

Some years ago, during a conversation with me, you gave yourself 15 marks out of 100 and said you were a work in progress. What’s your score now?

Ha, I’ve moved to 30 now (laughs). There’s still so much more to progress.

Could you speak a little about your role in ‘Bommai’, which seems like a romantic thriller?

Well, ‘Bommai’ is a film high on emotion, with entertaining elements. Who is Rajkumar? What is his innocent love story? What has he done to get the love of his life? Why does he bond with a doll? That’s what the film is about. And, it’s by Radha Mohan, who has a certain aesthetic while making films.

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Suryah, you were known for a certain kind of acting — loud, even brash. Karthik Subbaraj’s ‘Iraivi’ changed that. How do you react when a director writes something that’s so lovely and nuanced?

I enjoy and admire that. There’s no jealousy or competition. Whoever writes, I get to enact it, right? And, the writing team works so hard, for whom? For the actors to give a good performance. There are no second thoughts about that.

Do you still nurse direction dreams?

Oh yes, I am planning a movie, but it is not going to be ‘Ezhumalai Chitra’, as I had said some years ago. I’ll do that sometime else.

How did you react when you saw the first meme featuring you?

Oh, I enjoyed it a lot. All those comments, that timing, the recall value. All credit to those dialogues that lend themselves to myriad situations.

Do you miss direction?

Not quite, I love being an actor. I think this is because I have a legacy to fall back on. And, I have the luxury of knowing I can take advantage of director SJ Suryah anytime.

Let’s speak of the years between 2009 and 2015. It is easy to slip into self-pity, so what kept you going?

For me, it has always been the desire to travel towards my dream. I chase them, always, and run towards them, irrespective of the net result. My journey is constant.

You’ve often been cast as the negative lead. Do you fear getting stereotyped?

No, because I know I will reject any script that stereotypes me. And so, I’ve escaped this. That said, I will take up a project, irrespective of screen time, if it interests me, and excites me. This ensures that I filter projects even at the script stage.

You fit every role offered to you, to the T. The audience is unable to even imagine someone else in those roles. How do you view your performances?

I’d put it down to focussing on work and doing what I must to keep everyone happy. If we do well in our jobs, that’s reward enough.

‘Bommai’ is very unlike any Radha Mohan film. What appealed to you about the film?

I loved the concept — it is unique and universal and there’s entertainment too.

How’s ‘Jigarthanda Double X’ shaping up?

It is lovely, and shaping up very well. It is wonderful to work on Jigarthanda with Karthik Subbaraj sir. I also earned a new friend in Lawrence master. He’s an amazing person and actor.