It’s rare for an actor to have back-to-back films becoming hits at the box office within just days of each other. It is even more rare to have the actor play two distinct roles and find success in both. Actor Bagavathi Perumal, who has been basking in the successes of Gangers, and now Tourist Family, credits it to the ‘blessings’ that he has been receiving in his life. And a couple of such recent blessings include fulfilling his lifelong dream of working with Mani Ratnam and Sundar C. “After Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, Sundar sir invited me and Rajkumar to his house, and expressed his interest in casting us in Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru. But I couldn’t do it as I was more inclined towards direction. It took a decade for a similar opportunity to come my way,” he explains, adding, “In fact, I apologised for missing the opportunity, and he was magnanimous enough to say that I was a great performer and the audience would miss me if I chose to become a director.”
The actor earned plaudits for his performance as a timid police officer in Gangers, and held his own against the legendary Vadivelu. "Just like how you need many players in a football match to reach the goal, you need multiple people for comedy to land. I have seen all of Vadivelu sir's comedies, and I, just like everyone else, use quite a lot of his references in my daily life. But only when you work with him, you understand that he is a master in his craft," he shares. "I was stunned to see his face changing with every word. If he was in Bollywood or Hollywood, he would have become world famous."
Bagavathi's filmography comprises characters starkly varied from one another, each exploring a different facet and behaviour altogether. "This is solely possible because of the script. I try to choose roles that are different, but I don't think Super Deluxe's Berlin and Thunivu's Rajesh are very different. In fact, whenever I slightly stepped out of my character in Thunivu, H Vinoth would tell me that I am stepping into Berlin's shoes," says Bagavathi, who reveals an important learning from the filming on Gangers. "When I pointed out to Sundar C sir that it is illogical for my character to do a particular act, he just laughed and said that logic doesn't play a prominent role in his films. When directors are clear about what they are expecting from the characters, you also deliver unique roles," says the actor.
This is evident even when directors are clear about casting a particular actor from the scripting stage, underlines Bagavathi. "That's what happened in many films, including Vasan Bala's Monica, O My Darling. Sometimes, the inverse has also worked in favour. Take Blue Star for example. Such instances reinstate the belief and validation that we are acting well," he says, before going on to share another detail on Killer Soup. " Abhishek Chaubey wanted to cast me in the web series after watching my performance in Super Deluxe, but I wasn't inspired by the character he gave me. I told him that I was okay to act even in smaller roles. It was then he pitched me the detective Kiran Nadar role. I was impressed and immediately said yes. If directors don't give me such characters, where will I go and perform?"
With most directors and actors mentioning Super Deluxe's Berlin as his standout performance, one wonders why he hasn't tapped into that sinister, villainous energy again. "I miss playing such a role. Perhaps directors feel that I cannot pull off such a character again. I myself feel so as it was a one-of-a-kind well-written and directed character. Fortunately, I am playing a villain in Double Occupancy, which is backed by Sundar C's daughter Avantika Sundar," he reveals.
While Bagavathi's humour has mostly revolved around situational and reaction-based humour, Gangers did have a fair share of body-shaming and insensitive jokes. Did the detour feel uncomfortable? "Absolutely not. Even if someone else insults me, I won't take it to heart. Only when I accept it, will it affect me," says Bagavathi, who seems to revel in zones that challenge him. "Whenever I stepped out of my comfort zone, and did films like Super Deluxe, Blue Star and Monica, O My Darling, the characters seemed to receive immense praise. It is challenging roles that make me suffer and work hard that enable me to give a better performance," he says.
Talking about the takeaways from the various directors he has worked with, Bagavathi says, "Vasan Bala, who comes from advertising, told me that every five minutes there needs to be a 'moment'. I try to create that 'moment' through my acting without disturbing the existing scene and other actors' performance. Similarly, I understood the value of punctuality and perfection from Mani Ratnam sir. I have also learnt a ton from Sundar C sir. Over the years, all of these lessons have taken a concrete shape."
If the veterans of the industry provided Bagavathi a bunch of learning moments, the rank newcomers came with unique experiences as well. His recent success, Tourist Family, was helmed by debutant Abishan Jeevinth, and his upcoming film Sivantha Mann, was directed by another debut filmmaker, Infant. "One needs to have a deep understanding of human relationships and emotions to pitch and create a film like Tourist Family. Abi, being a young person, has handled the film maturely. Sivantha Mann, directed by a 24-year-old, reached the top 15 in the Waves Summit that had almost 120 projects in the running. I thought he had adapted it from a book, but was surprised to know that he had written it from his personal experience," he says.
Even as Bagavathi's acting dreams are getting fulfilled one by one, his directorial dreams are also in process of realisation. Inspired by the simplicity and impact in storytelling of animation films, the actor set out to write one in 2013. "It took me eight years to write half the script. I made it a point to write only when I was happy. It was only during the Waves Summit that I acquired the mentorship to take it forward," signs off Bagavathi.