Actor Sathish's upcoming film, Mustafa Mustafa is a film about the perils of being judged without thorough consideration. In a way, a film's prospects nowadays hinges on the responses even before the first show of the film is completed. "We are too quick to pass judgment these days. No one has time to wait, observe and have an informed opinion about things. Mustafa Mustafa is essentially what happens to someone on whom a quick judgment is passed and how it impacts him in his life in a comical manner," Sathish begins.
True to the Tamil friendship anthem of the 90s ('Mustafa Mustafa' from Kadhal Desam), it has borrowed its title from, Mustafa Mustafa will also feature a friendship in its core, and oodles of humour. Shying away from the thematic comparison between Panchathanthiram and his film, Sathish says, "Though there is a person who messes things up and his friend does the fire-fighting in Mustafa Mustafa, I humbly refuse comparison with a great film like Panchathanthiram. My character, who is innocent, messes things up, and actor Suresh Ravi, who plays my friend, does the rescue act. Our film is a friendship story in a way."
The actor adds that he agreed to be a part of the film, especially for not just one but two proverbial twists in the tale. "There are two brilliant twists in Mustafa Mustafa. It is similar to that 'aha' twist in Sattam En Kaiyil. Debut director Praveen Saravanan impressed me with his writing," he elaborates.
Interestingly, since he began doing lead roles, Sathish has been collaborating mostly with debut directors, and believes there's an inherent advantage to the same. "I find it interesting to work with new filmmakers. They bring new ideas to the table. Also, I think this is advantageous to me as an actor as the newcomers usually carry a fire to deliver an engaging film and to make a mark in their early films," he adds, sharing that he isn't too worried whether a newcomer would deliver a film smoothly. "The directors I worked with have always given a convincing pitch, and that develops my trust in their execution as well. Not a single filmmaker has disappointed me. Also, I am not an expert in analysing their skills. No newcomer who worked with me has exceeded the production cost or number of production days. According to me, that is the litmus test for a filmmaker."
While Mustafa Mustafa deals with the consequences of unfounded judgments, Sathish admits that he, like the majority of people, felt it was important to have an opinion on everything and express it, even if he wasn't thoroughly informed. "To be honest, I used to pass comments and judgments on what happened inside the Bigg Boss house during the inaugural season. It took me time to realise that this is a 24-hour show and the one-hour episode was not enough to have an opinion, and I was spectacularly wrong on many of my judgments. It helped me in identifying this problem in me," he shares, adding that the amount of uncontrollable chaos created by effortless misunderstandings and judgments. "This is the tiny message we try to convey through Mustafa Mustafa. It is not a serious film. Armed with humour, the film will make the audience contemplate this toxic habit of commenting on things they don't understand well. Sometimes, it is okay not to have an opinion than to have an ill-informed opinion.”
Just like how he is fond of working with newcomers, Sathish also reveals his fondness of not sticking to a particular genre. "Just because a comedy or a thriller becomes a hit, I don't sign such films continuously in my lineup. If I find a story that would suit me, irrespective of the genre, I choose it. If at all, I want to be associated with an 'image', it would be being an actor who wants to experiment and try new things. It is also important that my character is relatable because that increases the probability of the film's success. For instance, I was offered a CM role and an Assistant Commissioner role, and I found it awkward," he says, laughing. Taking note of the dwindling scope for humour and the necessity to do action films, Sathish is positive that though comedy tracks have ceased to exist, humour cannot be phased out from films, and performing stunts doesn't necessarily need a beefed-up physique. "Comedy, even slightly overdone, will be termed cringe, so it needs to be injected and manoeuvred through the story. As far as action is concerned, if the hero beating a villain has a good reason, people will not question. Dhanush sir, for instance, in his initial films, despite not having an intimidating physique, the story justified the hero physically overpowering the villain, and we bought it."
Sathish asserts that his next film, Pathu Naal Raja, which has him performing stunt scenes, would look convincing, for sure. "I am eagerly waiting for that film too. Saikumar sir's son Aadi is starring alongside me. I hope that the film will also be a proper launchpad for me in the Telugu industry," Sathish shares, as he concludes with a call for action to people to watch Mustafa Mustafa, in his characteristic jest. "If you ask me why the audience should watch the film in the midst of the 1000 problems they are having in life, consider Mustafa Mustafa one such problem and watch it. You will be taken in for a joyride with a pertinent message," he signs off.