A nonetheless from ‘Brother’
| Picture Credit score: Particular Association

What delights an interviewer? An interviewee who offers strong solutions with headline-worthy quotes for each query even when the interviewer doesn’t resort to taking the dialog to clickbaity territory and Jayam Ravi is one such delight. Busy with promotional occasions for his upcoming movie, Brother, helmed by Siva Manasula Sakthi-fame Rajesh, Ravi, on a telephone name, talks about returning with a household drama after career-defining movies inside the style similar to M Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi, Unakkum Enakkum and Santhosh Subramaniyam.

Ask him if he selected Brother as a result of it was an attention-grabbing script that got here his approach or as a result of he was searching for a break from thrillers and Ravi says, “I selected it because it’s a pleasant script that was provided to me however within the means of doing it, I felt the shortage of doing household entertainers earlier than. Greater than me, my followers have been asking why I had moved away from doing movies like Unakkum Enakkum and Santhosh Subramaniyam. I revered their needs and was looking out for such scripts when Rajesh sir met me.”

A nonetheless from ‘Brother’
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association

After enjoying a prince (Ponniyin Selvan: I & II), a port employee (Agilan), a cop (Iraivan) and a prisoner (Siren) in the previous couple of years, Ravi feels his character in Brother is one thing much like his real-life persona. “For movies like M Kumaran, I didn’t need to apply a lot to get into the pores and skin of the character. But when the style is completely different, I’ve to do one thing that may be known as, in a crude approach, homework (laughs). In Brother, I play a personality who does what he loves and that makes him much like who I’m.”

“Revisiting my films is one in all my favorite actions,” says Ravi as the subject veers into his household dramas from the 2000s. “I used to go to theatres carrying a cap to observe the viewers’s response and we are able to gauge which scenes work for them. I attempt to faucet into these feelings with my upcoming movies too. The boy-next-door persona was my calling card; that’s how individuals got here to know me. So why not use it?”

Requested why we don’t get such classics anymore, Ravi opines, “I might love all people to create such classics however there’s additionally the necessity to convey a way of newness. There needs to be new collaborations or a brand new screenplay that stands out. Such classics will occur organically and it could actually’t be pressured.”

Ravi acknowledges that Tamil cinema has turn out to be extra genre-specific. “Traits change not less than each 5 years within the business. We should always educate and replace ourselves on what’s trending. The dialogues we spoke earlier may really feel cliché immediately. After the appearance of OTT platforms, our consideration span has additionally dropped and the success of YouTube shorts and Instagram reels proves how individuals wish to eat fast leisure. Industrial movies nonetheless exist, however now we have to classify what commerciality means now,” says the actor.

Ravi has labored with a number of debutant filmmakers in addition to veterans like Mani Ratnam. Regardless of Brother marking Rajesh’s tenth characteristic outing, his previous few releases have didn’t recreate the success of his earlier movies. “Legends are legends and no one can change that,” says Ravi. “Typically, some makers really feel in the event that they repeat what labored for them earlier than, it will likely be successful as soon as once more. However that doesn’t occur because the audiences really feel they’ve seen comparable and need one thing new. Errors occur and everybody, proper from administrators to actors, all of us study from it.”

“No matter our previous successes, we have to preserve the viewers entertained. Cinema’la inniku success romba mukkiyamnu solluvanga (That’s why they are saying that within the movie business, profitable at the moment issues extra). The concept is to maintain updating and difficult ourselves and not less than give a greater success than our final hit,” he says.

Talking of studying from previous errors, Ravi’s experiments in shifting away from his consolation zone have typically resulted in underwhelming movies. “Doing higher experiments and never giving up is the best way to go,” says a smiling Ravi. “Folks have inspired me to check out movies like Tik Tik Tikand Miruthan. Then there are movies that we didn’t do nicely and it’s not a case of the viewers not judging it aptly. I feel now we have to do higher experiments with measured dangers. If not, a way of boredom would hit us.”

A nonetheless from ‘Brother’
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association

Ravi has a slew of upcoming tasks. Aside from the not too long ago introduced ones, the actor assures that Jana Gana Mana with director Ahmed and his reunion along with his brother Mohan Raja for Thani Oruvan 2 which have been introduced just a few years in the past are nonetheless taking place. “Because it’s been round three years since we shot part of Jana Gana Mana, the director has tweaked it for immediately’s sensibilities and we’ll resume the shoot quickly. Since AGS Productions was busy with GOAT, they needed to place ours on maintain to wrap the biggie. The talks are happening and updates on it will likely be out quickly,” says Ravi who has Genie, Kadhalika Neramillai and a movie with Dada director Ganesh K Babu for JR 34.

“Genie and Kadhalika Neramillai are all set for launch and the dates will probably be introduced quickly. The movie with Ganesh Babu will go on flooring in December,” provides Ravi who, after helping director Suresh Krishna in the Kamal Haasan-starrer Aalavandhan, has been toying with the concept of directing a movie. “I used to be initially however unsure if I used to be prepared. However I can guarantee you that I’m prepared for it now completely (smiles) and hopefully it occurs subsequent yr.”

Ravi introduced his separation from his spouse final month and aside from changing into a subject of competition, it additionally, unsurprisingly, made approach for gossip. Regardless of a lot taking place on his private {and professional} entrance, Ravi appears unperturbed by rumourmongers. “It’s their proper to speak about anyone and I don’t decide anybody for speaking about me. However I might need them to evaluate me for the work I challenge to them. What occurs in my private life is one thing that solely I do know and that’s how it’s for any particular person,” says Ravi.

“I’ve been within the business for 21 years and earned an incredible title. Nothing can crumble that instantly and that’s the status I’ve had. I’m leaning on that positivity for my psychological well being.”

Brother is releasing in theatres on 31 October, 2024

Revealed – October 30, 2024 05:36 pm IST