Catherine Tresa, who is known for intense preparations to work on her roles, feels that working on Gangers felt like a much-needed respite. “This was a great breather for me,” she laughs, as she sits down to talk about her first Tamil film since Aruvam (2019). “Sundar sir’s films are always like that. He prefers you to come on board as a blank slate, without any preconceived notions and wants you to come there and be spontaneous. It was fun.” This is the actor's third time in a Sundar C directorial after Kalakalappu 2 (2018) and Vantha Rajavathaan Varuven (2018). Describing him as a self-aware filmmaker, she says, "He is very clear about the kind of films he wants to make and also understands that the audiences expect fun entertainers from him." One of her biggest reasons for being a part of Sundar C's films is that he is an organised filmmaker and has the backing of a talented team. "And he doesn't believe in wasting time. I think Sundar sir also likes to work with people who understand his wavelength," she shares.
Much of the film's fun factor was amplified by the entry of Vadivelu into Gangers, which marks the comedian's reunion with Sundar C after 15 years. On her experience working with the comedian, Catherine says, "I was always curious whether he was naturally funny in real life or if his humour was something he brought out only on screen. Turns out, he was absolutely hilarious in person." Despite their language barriers, the duo became good friends. "He has this childlike quality and his energy is infectious. We bonded through our limited understanding of each other’s languages." Naturally, her understanding of comedy and dialogue delivery improved with time. "While working together on scenes, he would constantly improvise, which made everything more lively and spontaneous. He was also helpful—he’d give me tips on how I could elevate my reactions and make the scenes better," she adds, underlining that a lot of hard work goes behind making people laugh.
Catherine's career has been an eclectic mix of commercial films and character-oriented roles— from Sarrainodu, Nene Raju Nene Mantri, Paisa, Iddarammayilatho to Madras and Aruvam. When probed if it was a conscious choice to balance the two, she says, "All actors would love to play author-backed characters and at the same time, commercial films are important. I'm not saying that commercial films cannot have well-written characters. I've played a few well-written characters in commercial films," she notes. According to her, the definition of commercial films depends on the range of audiences it reaches. "For that matter, any film that reaches beyond a certain number of people is, in a way, commercial. My goal is to do meaningful characters in films that reach as many people as possible," she notes. While some roles might be stereotypical, she says the decision to take up the film isn’t always about the character. "Sometimes, it’s simply a good project. Other times, it’s about the team. I try to find projects that offer a balance between the two, so I can enjoy the best of both worlds," she elaborates.
The actor's filmography has been shaped by a diverse group of established filmmakers like Puri Jagannadh, Krishna Vamsi, Gunasekhar, Pa Ranjith, and Sundar C. On how the experiences taught her to adapt herself as an actor, she shares, "Every time you work with these directors, you step into their world—their vision, their style, their way of working, and I absolutely love that. Every film has a different vibe." Catherine has also appeared on special numbers. Does she feel that it panders to the male gaze and objectifies women? “Don’t you think, in some way, everything panders to the male gaze?” she questions. “When a beautiful female actor appears in any scene, people tend to focus on her appearance and appreciate the fact that she’s beautiful. It really depends on the perception of the viewer.” On that note, Catherine feels that the Aranmanai director has a great sense of aesthetics. "I think that’s really important. Glamour, to me, is anything that looks good. I don’t think it is limited to just skin show. You can be draped in a beautiful saree and still look absolutely glamorous. As long as it’s not vulgar, I don’t think there’s a question of objectification," she reflects. However, she clarifies that she is speaking only for herself and acknowledges that objectification does exist in many songs.
Catherine confesses that over her 15-year-long career, she has learnt to be more patient and grown to be more appreciative of the craft of acting. "Acting gives me a lot of freedom as I get to do things I wouldn’t normally do in real life. As a person, I’m quite shy. But when I’m playing a character who’s loud or doing these vibrant songs—those are things that I’d never do," she says, mentioning that there’s a certain joy in stepping outside herself. "Going forward, I want to choose well-written roles that also have strong commercial appeal," she says before signing off.