In our big-ticket films with a charismatic actor at the centre of things, it’s quite a rarity to get noticed in a blink-and-you-miss role. However, in an uncredited role in Kushi (2000), Shaam managed to do just that despite sharing the screen with Vijay, who was at the threshold of superstardom. Now, Vijay is a bonafide superstar, and Shaam has aced a role that has him at loggerheads with the former in the recent Pongal release, Varisu. With this chance to reconnect with his lucky charm, Vijay, Shaam feels his cinema career has come full circle.
“I remember being called to Besant Nagar’s Ashtalakshmi temple for Kushi. Jeeva sir was the cameraman and they were looking for someone who can stand beside Vijay,” says Shaam, who really didn’t think much would come from that role. However, that one frame became impactful enough for the late cinematographer Jeeva to launch Shaam in 12B (2001). “My first shot for 12B was once again in the Ashtalakshmi temple with the same cinematographer and Jyothika. This time, I was not on the side of the hero, but the hero itself. I felt the presence of God.”
Shaam found it miraculous that 23 years later, he was once again working with Vijay, and was playing the elder brother to the person he calls ‘anna’ off the sets. “It was heartwarming to meet him on the sets of Varisu. He was encouraging and accommodating,” says Shaam, who plays an ambitious person who is in constant disagreement with the ways of his younger brother. Talking more about working with Vijay, Shaam says, “Vijay sir creates magic spontaneously in front of the camera. He does not do any rehearsals, and it is only after a few takes that we understand how he works. We need to put in that extra effort to ensure we match his aura.”
Shaam, who is known for starring in light-hearted breezy entertainers, returns to almost similar territory with Varisu. Although he might not be playing the lead in the film, Shaam is glad that such projects are making a return to Tamil cinema. Although the actor has an enviable list of films in this genre like Lesa Lesa, Iyarkai, Yei Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke, and Ullam Ketkume, he rues the gradual decline of this genre, especially since the passing away of his mentor Jeeva, who almost specialised in such films. “12B was a trendsetting film, which is relatable even today. SP Jhananathan’s Iyarkai is another film that people still love after 19 years. Harris Jayaraj gave me some lovely songs in Lesa Lesa, Ullam Ketkume, and 12B. There is something magical about romantic films because the nostalgia value is always high,” opines Shaam.
Shaam admits that the demise of his godfathers in Tamil cinema like Jeeva and Jhananathan were debilitating personal losses, and it also lead to him not cracking the code in Tamil cinema. However, he is glad that a solid break in Telugu came calling with Surender Reddy’s Kick, opposite Ravi Teja. It was the role of a no-nonsense cop that helped Shaam shed the ‘chocolate boy’ image, and reinvent himself. “I didn’t want to compromise my roles in Tamil. But, I could afford to be a bit more liberal with my choices in Telugu. After Kick, I earned recognition in the Telugu states, and my role in Allu Arjun’s Race Gurram just cemented that place.”
The advent of OTT has further paved the way for actors to reinvent, especially when regional films have the scope to be showcased across India, and the world. Shaam makes a rather insightful point about the importance of multistarrers in OTT. “It is hard for one person to shoulder a series that runs for hours. But if multiple actors can come together, there can be more interesting subplots in a series, which makes them all the more interesting,” says Shaam, pointing out the example of how Mani Ratnam got his star casting right in Ponniyin Selvan. In many ways, Varisu too is a multistarrer, and Shaam reveals that he was also called to play the antagonist in Ajith Kumar’s Thunivu, which hit the screens alongside the Vijay film this Pongal. “If not for scheduling issues, I would have been playing pivotal roles in both Ajith sir and Vijay sir’s films.”
Shaam, who will be next playing a city gangster in Vijay Milton’s tentatively titled Golisoda 3, reaffirms his quest for reinventing himself in Tamil cinema. This is why he is also backing his next film that features him in a role he hasn’t done before. “I will be playing a rural character in the film. It is high time I keep reinventing and throw myself more challenges,” says Shaam, who reveals that the sequel to his much-loved tragic romance, Iyarkai was in the works just before Jhananathan passed away. “Jana sir had me told the whole story. It is about a rude and rugged Marudhu, who has now stopped believing in love. But his life changes when another love conquers him. Jana sir wanted to talk about mature romance. Iyarkai 2 can happen only if Bhoologam director Kalyan, who is the only other person to know the fulcrum of the sequel, decides to make it.”
After starting out in a small cameo, becoming a hero, shifting to parallel leads, playing a supporting character, and now, making strides as a hero once again, the career trajectory of Shaam is rather interesting. “As much as I am passionate about cinema, I also believe that my profession does not define my entire life. I have a family and a vibrant personal life. I have seen my peers losing everything because they only thought of cinema. I don’t want to be in the numbers game or anything. More than just having a successful professional life, I want to be content in my personal life,” signs off Shaam with a thought that is somehow also the crux of his latest release, Varisu. Art imitates life, indeed.