There was a time when Suhasini Maniratnam was called the official Dhukhaputhri of South Indian cinema. With her incredible ability to pull off intense roles, she could effortlessly move the audience to tears. However, she is nothing like that in real life. Or maybe that’s the hallmark of a good actor. Talking to her, you never feel this is the same person who was the embodiment of suffering on screen.
She is jovial, enthusiastic and articulate. “I’ve never been a Dhukhaputhri in real life, but I don’t mind the tag either,” laughs the actor, adding, “You can carry emotional roles only if you’re talented. Otherwise, the choices those days would be limited to running around trees and romancing heroes.
So, I prefer being a Dhukhaputhri any day!” Suhasini also remembers a compliment by the late filmmaker Bharathan, which she holds close to her heart. “He said only two people look good while shedding tears on screen. One is me, and the other is Lakshmi Amma,” she beams with pride.
Having worked with legends like Bharathan, KG George, Padmarajan, IV Sasi and Sethumadhavan, Suhasini has always been a favourite among the Malayali audience. But lately, she hasn’t been quite as active, and the actor has valid reasons for it. “The quality of Malayalam films is astonishing, especially ones like Ullozhukku (2024) and Bhoothakaalam (2022).
Urvashi and Revathy are my friends, and I wouldn’t expect any less from them, but Parvathy truly stunned me in Ullozhukku. I want to do films like that, but the roles offered are far from that. While discussing it with people like Lissy and Shobana, I understood that new filmmakers are scared to approach established artists.
They are anxious if their work will be approved. I’ve got friends like Mahesh Narayanan, but even they don’t come with substantial roles. Khushbhu and I keep joking, ‘Maybe we should clarify that we won’t eat them, but be obedient and surrender to their vision.’ I’ve also noticed youngsters saying, ‘Oh, I feel lucky to be working with you.’ But it shouldn’t be like that. Everyone should feel equal.”
Suhasini also feels that the lack of good offers is only for character artists like her and not for the “saleable ones.” She adds, “Offers dried up for me probably because I kept refusing them, but the likes of Mohanlal and Mammootty will continue to get good roles because the whole project depends on them, unlike us. “
After a brief gap, Suhasini recently made her comeback to Malayalam with the Sony LIV series Jai Mahendran. The actor remembers how its makers were also initially hesitant to approach her, but eventually did so at the insistence of lead actor Saiju Kurup. “Though the team was ready to go ahead with another actor, Saiju thought I would suit the role.” Jai Mahendran has Suhasini as Tahsildar Shobhakumari, an honest official, who is in stark contrast to her deputy Mahendran (Saiju), who believes in getting things done by whatever means necessary.
Having held high-ranking positions in real life, Suhasini says she identifies more with Shobhakumari than Mahendran. “Bribing really bothers me, and I’ve left organisations because of that. I believe in being disciplined and sincere, even if you’re not appreciated.” It is probably this real-life persona that has resulted in her playing a number of straitjacket government officials.
“Maybe, yes, and that’s also one thing that concerned me before accepting Jai Mahendran—how to differentiate Shobhakumari from my other roles.” Explaining how she incorporated a minor detail into the role, she says, “During my interactions with government officials, I’ve noticed how they often like sharing past experiences from their career. So, I asked if we could conceive Shobhakumari as someone who always brings up stories. It was a small suggestion to make the character livelier.”
Being a writer-director herself, it would be natural for Suhasini to share inputs while acting, but she is conscious that the final call always lies with the filmmaker. “Writers and directors will be caught up with multiple characters and their arcs, and won’t have time to devote to one person alone. So selfish actors like me, who want our role to work well, will give suggestions.
But it’s up to them to accept these inputs.” Recounting an experience of improvising throughout a film, she adds, “I once did a film with Karthik, where the director gave us a free hand and agreed to all our suggestions. But when the film came out, our scenes stood out like a sore thumb. So, I feel improvising should be an organic process and be applicable to all characters. I now share inputs for other characters as well, because if you focus on your character alone, it might be good for your ego, but not the project.”
Suhasini, though, is also quick to admit that her ego as an actor has grown over the years. “Earlier, I was a lot more willing to learn; any correction was a challenge, but today, I’m more rigid. For instance, if I move too much to the right or left while acting, I feel the emotion won’t be conveyed. So it’s always a struggle between being a student of cinema and someone who has been in the industry for too long.”
On the representation of women in cinema, especially in the wake of the Hema Committee report, Suhasini is eager to share her thoughts. With over four decades of experience in cinema across languages, the veteran feels the committee’s findings are a “warning for people who misbehave, not just in the film industry, but across the society.” She feels there’s an urgent need to sensitise everyone who dreams of a career in cinema.
“Women should be sensitised on how to deal with problems and differentiate between career ambitions and personal interactions with those they meet in the industry. They should realise that cinema is like any other industry where you can prosper if you are talented, lucky, and meet the right people. At the same time, men should learn that they are not here for intimate relationship with the opposite sex. You’re here to work.”
Besides her acting commitments, Suhasini is also contemplating her writing and direction, which she last did with the segment Coffee, Anyone? in the Prime Video anthology film, Putham Pudhu Kaalai (2020). Suhasini, who once called direction a “tough hobby” says, “I would love to get back to it, but I can’t for the next 2-3 years because of some family commitments. I’m discussing a few ideas with Revathy, so maybe she will direct one of my stories in the next few years.”