In Cinema Express' exclusive interview with veteran actor Sivakumar, the actor takes us behind the scenes of the 1968 classic Thirumal Perumai, sharing how intense makeup transitions led to illness—and why a single scene with Sivaji Ganesan remains etched in his memory forever.
Before the days of digital wizardry and seamless CGI, mythological films relied on sheer commitment, meticulous planning, and physical endurance. Actor Sivakumar knows this better than most. Recalling his experience from Thirumal Perumai, where he played all ten avatars of Lord Vishnu in a single sequence, the veteran actor says the effort left him physically drained—quite literally.
“I had to shoot all ten avatars of Vishnu back-to-back,” he recalls. “Today, we use digital magic and quick transitions. But back then, we only had dissolve transitions, which required the camera lens to be closed and reopened between shots.”
He explains with an example, “Take Krishna, for instance. I would be painted blue from head to toe for the scene, which would last around 30 seconds. Once the shot was done, the lens would be closed for the dissolve transition. I’d then run to the green room, scrub off the blue paint with hot water, and apply fresh makeup for Balarama. This would repeat over and over for each avatar.”
This constant washing and rapid transformation came at a price. “I was exposed to hot water, paint, and hectic costume changes for hours. Eventually, I was diagnosed with typhoid. That shoot truly tested my physical limits.”
But the challenges weren’t only technical. Sivakumar also shares an unforgettable moment with legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan, whose professionalism and humility left a lasting impression on the young actor.
“One of the characters Sivaji sir played in Thirumal Perumai was Thirumangai Alwar. In one segment, I played a newly married man whom he encounters. He takes a vow to build a temple for Vishnu, and when he falls short of funds, he resorts to stealing.”
Sivakumar vividly remembers the scene: “He stops us and asks us to hand over all our jewellery, except the thaali (mangalsutra) my on-screen wife wears. He then notices the toe ring on my foot. I tell him it’s too tight to remove. He bends down, tries to take it off, and when he can’t, he actually uses his teeth to pull the ring from my toe.”
What’s more striking than the scene’s intensity was its location. “We shot it in a village called Thiruvadisoolam, near a small temple. The villagers didn’t have proper sanitation facilities back then. The ground was, frankly, filthy and unhygienic,” he says. “But Sivaji sir didn’t hesitate. He crouched down and used his mouth to remove the ring from my foot. After the first take, he even asked if I wanted another one. Such was his dedication. He was so down-to-earth that he didn’t think twice about using his mouth to remove the toering or an up-and-coming young actor like me.”
