Press "Enter" to skip to content

Success didn’t come easy to me: Samuthirakani

Samuthirakani is a busy man these days. The Kollywood-Mollywood actor-director hardly checks missed call alerts or messages. “I have been continuously shooting for the past seven months. After Kaala, Vada Chennai and Aan Devathai, I have started working on my directorial venture Nadodigal 2. All these movies will release this year, and I feel blessed as I am in the happiest phase of my life collaborating with actors like Rajinikanth,” he says.

The former associate of K Balachander and Ameer, Samuthirakani believes he has come a long way in 15 years. “Success didn’t come to me easily. Sometimes, I ask myself, ‘Am I living up to the expectations I’ve raised?’ So, I keep pushing my limits—both as an actor and a director,” he adds.Samuthirakani says his career is built on films that didn’t do well at the box-office. “The numbers certainly didn’t make my career—it’s the roles and films that have,” he says.

Recalling his initial days, he says, “After debuting with Unnai Charanadaindhen, I had to struggle a lot because that film was a flop. I wanted to direct Nadodigal, but nobody was ready to listen to the script. I wrote seven drafts and finalised the last one. And following my wife’s advice, I approached Ameer. This was when I was assisting him on Paruthiveeran. Slowly, Subramaniapuram and Nadodigal materialised, and my life took a U-turn.”

In the meantime, he forayed into television and directed tele-serials such as Arasi and Selvi, which became huge hits. He believes he straddles both unconventional and mainstream cinema with ease. Citing the award-winning Visaranai as an example, he says he wants to be a part of responsible filmmaking. “That becomes easy when you team up with like-minded directors like Vetrimaaran. I am not saying I am a social activist, but when I write, the society comes first.”

Samuthirakani admits that the respectability he’s got is because of the kind of films he has done in the past, including Poraali, Appa, Thondan and so on. But he never fears being labelled as a preachy director. “I believe society and films are inseparable. Both affect each other. Sixty per cent of a film should talk about the society, and 40 per cent can be entertainment.”

That’s something Samuthirakani has learned from his mentor, K Balachander. “A good film should not only entertain but also inform the audience.”Considering himself a director’s actor, he says, “Films are a director’s medium, and everything depends on a director’s call. I don’t encroach upon the director’s domain.” The National Award winner for Best Supporting Artist for Visaranai in 2016 believes that getting recognition doesn’t mean that he has become a better actor. “I see myself as a newcomer every time I appear in front of the camera. When I ventured into films, the last thing on my mind was acting. I tried my luck as an actor, but I thought I failed. Now, people have accepted me as a director and an actor, and that’s what matters,” he adds.

Source: The New Indian Express