THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For one year after ‘Veyil’, the Tamil movie that won much critical acclaim, was released, the lead actor in the movie Pasupati sat jobless at home. Not because he ran out of offers, but was simply too bored repeating the same roles.
Throughout our chat with Pasupati, who was in the city to promote his first full-length Malayalam movie ‘Vairam’, the actor carried all traces of a restless and demanding human being, who seems to be on the lookout for something new, every moment.
“After ‘Veyil’, there were offers to do hero roles. I said that I didn’t want to be a hero, give me a good story, a good role,’’ the actor says. Maybe, the characters in ‘Raman Thediya Seethai’ and ‘Kuselan’, which followed, were in tune with this determination.
He attributes it to his days in the theatre group, ‘Kuthupattarai’, (Pasupati likes to call it a ‘gurukul’) where his Guru had taught him to be adamant and patient with his dreams and keep learning. “He used to tell us that an actor has to learn everything, you can’t stop. Then you are finished, you can’t create,’’ the actor recollects.
The advice came handy to him when he left theatre, looking for a job. “I had learned the art of light designing as part of a European theatre scholarship. I started doing lighting for shows, I was forced to actually, because I needed to survive. After sometime, I got bored,’’ he says.
Naturally!
It was then that Nasser, the Tamil actor and one of Pasupati’s closest friends, introduced him to Kamal Hassan. Things took a different turn after that.
“With Kamal sir’s ‘Virumadi’, I got noticed and then I worked in a couple of movies with him. I was doing villain roles then and only such roles came to me. I started getting upset and told Kamal sir that I am quitting. This won’t work for me, there is no scope for acting. But he encouraged me to stay on and wait for my turn,’’ Pasupati says.
It was then that ‘Mumbai Express’ happened and the villain turned into a comedian.
A couple of movies followed, where he repeated the comedy performances, and again he was bored.
He acted in a Telugu movie, but soon realised that language was one aspect that enriches a performance.
‘Vairam’ is not his debut in Malayalam, he had done that with ‘Big B’. But for a performance-packed role that he always yearns for, ‘Vairam’ is exactly his bite. “The character is intense, there is a good story,’’ he says.
Pasupati understands Malayalam, though not fluent enough to converse.
Nedumudi Venu, Bharat Gopi and Jagathy Sreekumar are a few of the actors he likes to mention in Malayalam whose acting style has left him awe-struck.
“I haven’t felt much difference working in both industries. I think wherever you are, you do your role perfectly,’’ Pasupati shares his mantra.
So, are we going to see him more in Malayalam? “I don’t know. I don’t plan anything. I only look for performances, small or big doesn’t bother me,’’ he says.
“I always wanted to be behind the camera, directing a movie. And see now, just the opposite...’’, he smiles.
trivandrum@epmltd.com