Amitash Pradhan: I want to move on from the tag of being Amul Baby 

In some ways, it is safe to call Por Thozhil the Tamil cinema version of Denzel Washington's iconic film, Training Day. Even as people are still celebrating the resurgence of Sarath Kumar, who played Loganathan in the Vignesh Raja debut directorial, the actor has moved on to yet another film where he dons the khaki... again. Sarath Kumar plays Maithreyan in debut director Aravind Raj's upcoming film, Paramporul. Entirely self-aware of doing cop roles back-to-back, Sarath says, "I think filmmakers have kept me in a space identical to Denzel."

Paramporul also stars Amitash Pradhan, who plays Aadhi, a wastrel. The film is about how Maithreyan and Aadhi find themselves inexplicably intertwined in the world of idol theft, and how they work together to undo the knots of a crime. While it is easy to file Paramporul as yet another Por Thozhil that explores the mentor-mentee relationship, Sarath specifically says that the two films and his roles in them are incomparable. "Loganathan (from Por Thozhil) is entirely different from Maithreyan. Loganathan was a very restrained cop who had a lot of personal trauma to deal with. Maithreyan, on the other hand, is a very easy-go-lucky kind of person," he says adding that the situation makes him choose the crooked path in a rather crooked world. "The character has grey shades, and is unpredictable and multi-layered."

For Amitash, Paramporul is the first time he plays the lead protagonist. Expressing that this film will always have a special place in his heart, Amitash says, "During our initial conversations, I confirmed with Aravind if he genuinely visualised me playing Aadhi. He was sure of wanting an actor with a limited filmography and no baggage, which will ensure the audience does not have preconceived notions."

Having started his cinema career by playing the antagonist in Dhanush's Velaiyilla Pattadhari (2014), Amitash has had a rather subdued career in which he has starred in just a handful of films. Naming the pandemic, and typecasting as reasons for doing lesser films, Amitash says, "I had to take a detour and slow down on the number of films I was doing because I was being typecast after VIP. Even a decade later, I am still identified as 'Amul Baby,' and it is a tag that I want to move on from." However, Amitash is quick to add that he has no regret about starting off as a villain in VIP. "When I first met Dhanush sir, I asked him if starting my career with a negative role would work in my favour. He reminded me that the God of cinema, Rajinikanth sir himself started his film journey as a villain," recalls Amitash.

Talking about being typecast, one can't help but wonder if Sarath Kumar is ever bored of essaying cop roles. "I did not consciously choose to only do police roles. The scripts that came to me post my sabbatical came that way," explains the almost 70-year-old actor, who is showing no signs of slowing down. "Each of my police roles is different. "In Hit List, I play a tough cop, but it is not like Loganathan. The film marks the debut of director Vikraman's son, and how could I not do the film?" asks Sarath, who has worked with the veteran filmmaker in the iconic Suryavamsam. Going on to list the other cop films in the pipeline, Sarath says, "There's Smile Man where I play a retired cop with Alzheimer's and of course, there is Criminal."

The fondness for Criminal, a police procedural featuring Gautham Karthik as the lead, stems from Sarath's long-standing friendship with the latter's father, Karthik. "I felt like life came a full circle while working with Gautham as it reminded me of my days working with his father."

Coming back to the mentor-mentee exploration in his recent films, Sarath is vehemently clear about one thing. "We are two young actors collaborating on a film," points out the actor-politician, who earns plaudits for his physical fitness that belies his age. "I think my films are working because I am relevant, as are the roles I play. It is important for your health to be in check for you to be relevant. Nothing is possible without being healthy and active, both mentally and physically," the actor asserts.

But there is no doubt that working with Sarath Kumar can be a wholesome learning experience for actors just learning the ropes of the industry. "Sarath sir helped me improvise. While shooting with a senior artist like him, I was hesitant to ask for multiple takes. Sarath sir himself would understand and tell Aravind to go for another take," says Amitash, who has a very distinct idea about shaping his fledgling career.  "I want to do something different from what the top stars do. I wish to do content-driven films like Ayushmann Khurrana," says Amitash manifesting Paramporul to be the first of his many such endeavours.

While Amitash is ready to put himself out there with challenging roles, especially exploring the world of web series that "gives scope for character development" Sarath Kumar wishes to only do films that surprise and satisfy him. As a veteran in this ever-changing world of cinema, Sarath Kumar signs off by wishing one aspect remains constant irrespective of the evolution of the industry on various fronts, "Mannukku samandha patta vishayatha marandhida koodadhu. (Don't forget the Tamil roots and what grounds us)."