Sibi Sathyaraj: An actor shouldn't tie themselves to any image

Actor Sibi Sathyaraj, who made his debut with the 2003 film Student No 1, has now completed 22 years in the film industry. He notes that in his two-decade-long career, he has made a major career decision only once. As he discusses his next release, Ten Hours, which hits the theatres this Friday, he reflects on that pivotal moment. “Until Lee (2007), I didn’t think I needed to reconsider how I chose scripts. Though the film had promise and was ahead of its time, it didn’t do well. It was after that film that I went back to the drawing board and ensured that every film I did thereafter had something unique in it. I took a three-year break and returned with Naanayam in 2010. That one change has helped me to this day,” he says. The actor then adds, "But I get a small satisfaction in realising that I made Lee before the world was ready for it."

In the upcoming film, Sibi plays a police officer named Castro. Having portrayed a cop in films like Naaigal Jaakirathai (2014) and Walter (2021), Sibi believes he can still bring uniqueness to the role. “The protagonist is named after the Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro because he believes in serving justice—by the law or otherwise. His anger comes from his intolerance of injustice. But he’s not all brawn; Castro is someone who will talk to you casually without you realising he’s analysing you,” he says. As he probes further into the psychological profile of his character, it becomes clear that the actor has a deeper understanding of the kind of protagonists he wants to play. “I’ve never wanted to be an over-the-top hero," he says. "I have always wanted to remain a lead who serves the story. The best image an actor can have is no image. I don’t want to be typecast; I want to receive varied roles. Even after playing several cop roles, I still chose Ten Hours because of the story and the novelty of the character." While Sibi seems to be comfortable with his career choices, he does have a few regrets. He says, “I was in bad shape before I entered films. When it comes to fitness, it’s best to start early. Had I been in good shape from a young age, I would have avoided many struggles in my formative years." However, the actor reveals that he has picked up swimming, Kalari, horse riding, and tennis to keep himself fit and ready for intense action roles.

With night shoots being a technical challenge, Sibi says that shooting Ten Hours was all the more demanding. “Apart from unfolding over a single night, the film also takes place on a moving bus. We mostly filmed on highways. To avoid disturbing passengers and to proceed smoothly, we would start shooting at 2 AM and I had to drive at that hour. No matter how prepared you are, around that time you start feeling sleepy. I was asked to use a stunt double, but I was embarrassed to do that just for driving," he says, before adding, “Still, it was a highway, and despite our preparation, we couldn’t guarantee how other drivers would behave. So I didn’t take any chances. We had a team to regulate traffic so we could wrap up before the roads got busy.” The actor signs off by professing how Ten Hours is made to satisfy lovers of the thriller genre and fans of cinema who are always on the lookout for fresh narratives.