‘I am looking for a script to satisfy the cinematographer in me’

Actor Natty talks about working with Jayam Ravi in Brother, his passion for cinematography, his upcoming project where he plays a double role, and more
‘I am looking for a script to satisfy the cinematographer in me’
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3 min read

Director M Rajesh’s recent theatrical release Brother brings actors Natty Nataraj and Jayam Ravi together for the first time on screen. The film stars Natty as Aravind, the brother-in-law of Jayam Ravi’s character Karthik. Speaking about their maiden on-screen collaboration, Natty says, “It was an excellent experience working with Jayam Ravi. He is like a brother to me. Even though he has been in the industry for many years, he has never let the stardom get to his head. I am in awe of how he respects his seniors and I think he deserves all the stardom that comes his way today.”

Brother serves as a welcome departure for Natty from his usual intense roles, such as the police characters in Mari Selvaraj-Dhanush’s Karnan and Nithilan Saminathan-Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja, as well as The Kingmaker in Hiphop Aadhi’s Kadaisi Ulaga Por. The actor reveals that one of the reasons why he chose Brother was to take a break from intense roles.

“Brother is a feel-good family film, it was tonally different from my other recent roles. I liked the fact that it emphasises forgiveness and understanding in family relationships. There is a proverb in Tamil that says, “Kutram parthal sutram illai” (If you keep pinpointing mistakes, you will lose your close circle). Small mistakes can happen, but we should avoid and ignore them.”

Natty goes on to note how there has been a lack of family-oriented films in theatres, emphasising the need for such stories. Brother reunites Natty with his 2022 web series Victim’s director, M Rajesh. Natty and Rajesh worked on the episode Mirrage in the 2022 anthology series. Speaking about Rajesh’s direction style, Natty says, “I have seen almost all his films. He is excellent at what he does. He is also a very approachable and patient director who creates a positive and supportive environment on set. Rajesh treats actors, technicians, assistant directors, and assistant camera people like an experienced professor handling his students.”

A cinematographer turned actor, Natty shot a song in Bad Newz, the recent film starring Vicky Kaushal and Triptii Dimri in the lead roles. However, he says that he could only work on the film for ten days and had to walk out of it because of date issues. On his noticeable absence from cinematography work in recent times, Natty says, “I still do ad films for job satisfaction. I have not committed to any feature film because I am waiting for a great script with more scope for cinematography. I can commit to a regular film left, right and centre, but what is the point of that? After several years of experience, one should take a slower walk, observe everything, and choose wisely.”

On whether a period film would be one such project, Natty says, “Yes, something like that can satisfy my hunger. That is what I am looking for.” Natty is also doing his first double role in the upcoming film Aandavan Avatharam, with director Charles. Opening up about the film, the actor shares, “I am quite excited about it. The film is still in its early stages. I have already done a song and an action sequence for the film. Production on it will be in full swing later this month.”

Speaking about how he prepares for such a role, Natty reveals, “I do improvisations before a scene, and there I usually get to know what the scene demands and how to approach it. Then, I will take it from there.” Natty is eager to explore diverse roles across various genres. “Whichever script comes, if it draws my attention, I am ready to do it regardless of the genre. If I focus on a specific genre, I will be restricted, which I do not want.

I want to explore more and more characters.”

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