Sathish: I have more looks in Tamizh Padam 2 than Kamal Haasan sir in Dasavatharam

The actor is back with the Tamizh Padam team for its sequel that has been spoken about a lot
Sathish: I have more looks in Tamizh Padam 2 than Kamal Haasan sir in Dasavatharam

Sathish isn't the easiest to get hold of, given that he's in the midst of his busiest year in cinema. "I've been continuously shooting for the films starring Sivakarthikeyan and Siddharth," says the comedian, whose performance in the recently released Tamizh Padam 2 has been quite noted.

Sathish gets nostalgic as he remembers how he landed a role for the original film that released  in 2010. "I have to thank cinematographer Nirav Shah for that opportunity. I was shooting for Madrasapattinam, which he was a part of. I love spoof films like Scary Movie and asked him if he could get me a role in the film. He introduced me to director CS Amudhan," says the actor, who was in Delhi for a drama with Crazy Mohan when he was told that he had bagged the role. "They told me the shoot was on Tuesday, but the train to Chennai would only reach Wednesday. I didn't have money for a flight ticket, but a friend helped me get one and I made it to the shooting spot on time. I played Pandiya, a parody of the villain from Kaakha Kaakha. It was the first film of mine to be released."

In the sequel, he features far more prominently. "It was like a reunion when shooting Tamizh Padam 2," says Sathish, who doesn't want to call himself the film's villain. "If I call myself a villain, kooda irrukura kadaisi adi aal kooda namba maatan (laughs). But I'm glad that after being one among five people in the background of many films, I'm now in the front," says Sathish. Amudhan, he says, did a lot of homework for his role. "There was no room for improvisation and he was keen that I followed his directions implicitly," says the actor, who has portrayed 13 get-ups in the film.

"Initially, when they said I'll have different get-ups, I thought it'll be similar to what Shiva did in Tamizh Padam, in which he sports a mole to look disguised (laughs). But only during the look test did I realise that I'd be having more get-ups than Kamal sir in Dasavatharam!" Ask him which one was his favourite and he says, "The one in which we spoofed Akshay Kumar's get-up from 2.0. Ironically, that film hasn't been released yet. It was also the toughest as the makeup took three hours. I've to thank the makeup man as he didn't use gum which would be very irritating but stickers to make sure I didn't get hurt. Prakash Raj sir's Maharani get-up from Appu was also a tricky one. I'm glad that they all worked out."

When asked about the climax dance-off between him and Shiva, Satish can't control his laughter. "I was first told to learn Bharathanatyam for a dance sequence and when I asked what it was for, Amudhan told me that it was for a dance competition with Shiva. I told him that if it's with Shiva, then I won't have to learn anything (laughs). Even while shooting, we knew that the scene would be a huge hit," says the actor, who credits Shiva with making the scene work. "His timing and body language is incredible. Even a simple joke, when said by him, will seem funnier. When it came to dancing, he actually made his lack of skills a plus point."

Ask him if he's up for a serious villain role, and Sathish says, "Goundamani sir (Ragasiya Police) and Nagesh sir (Apoorva Sagodharargal) have done it before but they played it with humour. Audience always have a soft corner for comedians. I think that shouldn't be disturbed."

He will next be seen in the Arya-starrer Ghajinikanth, a remake of the Telugu film Bhale Bhale Magadivoy. "I play the role Vennela Kishore played in the original. It'll be similar to what Goundamani sir did in Ullathai Allitha. Those who have seen the film have appreciated my performance. I'm sure it'll be an important film in my career," says Sathish. He also has several other films lined up. "GV Prakash's 4G, Atharvaa's Boomerang and Jiiva's Gorilla are all important films for me. For Gorilla, I even got hit by a chimpanzee (laughs)."

Satish is presently shooting for the upcoming Sivakarthikeyan-Rajesh film. "It's a jolly film similar to Rajesh sir's previous films." The actor has been a part of five of Sivakarthikeyan's films so far. "With every film, he's evolving as an actor and so is his market. I was in his first film Marina as well as the one which gave him a break -- Ethir Neechal. Then came Maan Karate, Remo and Velaikkaran. I'm glad to have been a part of films which have been a turning point in his career." I ask him if he thinks himself to be Siva's lucky charm and he's quick to say, "Siva is the lucky charm of Tamil cinema (smiles)." I point out that he has done two films with Vijay, but none with Ajith and Sathish says, "In Thalapathy's style, I should say, 'I'm waiting'."

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