RJ Balaji will next be seen in debut director Siddharth Vishwanath’s Sorgavaasal, portraying the darkest character yet, in his career as an actor. Balaji boasts a professional life marked by dynamism. From hosting radio shows, being a television presenter, playing minor comic roles, to playing a lead, and directing films, Balaji has been there and done that. The multi-hyphenate reveals that he changes professions whenever they begin to become easier for him.
In this conversation, Balaji gets candid about his upcoming prison drama, Sorgavaasal, his experience working with debutants Siddharth Vishwanath and Ammamuthu Surya (Happy Ending), and his upcoming directorial, Suriya 45.
EXCERPTS:
Since 'Sorgavaasal' is set inside a prison, which situation would you define as a prison in your life?
I would call my past smoking addiction a prison. Starting this habit as early as when I was in Class 11, I felt I had outgrown this habit by 23–24. But the catch is that you can’t just wish away smoking. I used to regret smoking even after realising it was doing me harm. After a point, I came to the conclusion that I needed to act on it rather than just feeling bad about it. So I quit and never touched it after that. Feeling confident about my self-control felt like a prison break.
In the Sorgavaasal teaser, we hear a sermon about taking pain as a blessing. What’s your take on pain and sorrow?
There is a popular mantra among youngsters of today: ‘Avoid negativity’. I don’t think it is a very useful strategy. You cannot look away from the bad things around you, and not the things that happen to you. If something bad happens to me, I feel sad and I acknowledge that feeling. Take the same smoking example; I did not quit it by plainly ignoring it as bad; I acted on it. So accept the sorrow and think about how you can make the best of it.
Did you ever expect to take up a dark character like in Sorgavaasal?
To be honest, I never dreamed of anything. I didn’t chalk out a plan for how my life should be. Instead, I never do anything in a half-hearted manner. I stay dedicated to whatever I do. When I first became a radio jockey, it took me six hours to prepare for the show. Later, it was reduced to 30 minutes because of my efforts. Whenever a job gets easy for me, I leave it and look for something exciting and challenging. I took up comic roles and minor roles; after one point, it stopped exciting me. Then I wanted to direct films and explore different roles. This has been my journey, starting from an RJ to Sorgavaasal.
How was the experience working with debutants?
I feel fortunate and blessed to be working with talented boys like Siddharth and Ammamuthu Surya. Both the directors are polar opposites. Siddharth comes from Pa Ranjith’s school and worked as his associate in Kaala (2018) and Kabali (2016). Whereas Surya has a totally different background and vision. Both of them will go a long way. As of now, just the teaser video of Happy Ending has been shot; we are yet to go on floors. That project will take off when I am done with my existing commitments. So switching sensibilities will not be a problem in that way. Even otherwise, I don’t immerse myself in any character.
Why are you not a part of the sequel to Mookuthi Amman (2020)?
Simple, I didn’t have that film in my plan for the near future. There are no other controversial reasons or issues behind it. The producers of Mookuthi Amman felt that the film needed a sequel now, and I was not in the frame of mind to work on it. The film has given me several pleasant memories, and with those memories, I wish the team of Mookuthi Amman 2 all the best.
Did you have apprehensions about Sorgavaasal being a film for a niche audience?
Playing a raw character like this is new to me, but I wouldn’t agree that the film will be recognised only by the niche audience. Yeah, you will not see RJ Balaji in a rib-tickling role, but the film has a lot of relatable emotions. You will also see me doing a lot of action in Sorgavaasal.
Any update on Suriya 45?
I feel fortunate to team up with Suriya sir and AR Rahman sir. God has been really kind to me. The scripting process and the pre-production for the film are complete. I am waiting for the producer’s nod to begin filming the project.