PremiumAttakathi Dinesh Interview | Like Thenali is for Kamal Haasan sir, J Baby will be emotional comedy film for Urvashi madam
Actor Attakathi Dinesh, who will be seen in Urvashi-starrer J Baby, opens up about his humble beginnings with Attakathi, direction, Lubber Pandhu and more
Last Updated: 10.55 AM, Mar 05, 2024
In the sea of actors whose monickers are derived from their star status, actor Dinesh opted to keep a film name that earned him the much-needed recognition. After starring in the hit directorial debut of Pa Ranjith, Dinesh adopted the film’s name, Attakathi, and is now popularly known as Attakathi Dinesh. 12 years have passed since Attakathi’s release and now, the actor is expecting the release of J Baby, which is more like a homecoming for Dinesh since the film is backed by Ranjith’s home banner Neelam Productions.
On Attakathi
Speaking about his journey in a conversation with OTTplay, Dinesh says, “As artists, we tend to show all our talents, ranging from comedy, dance to fight. I was not able to dance much without practise then. After Attakathi, I did a film called Cuckoo which again highlighted my performance. Now, it has been more than 10 years since the release of Attakathi, I think I have come to an understanding that instead of learning everything and putting it all in one, it is important how we can make acting look simple. It’s like going back to the basics. Films like J Baby, Thandakaaranyam (upcoming) have taught me how to make acting look simple and realistic rather than making it seem like a performance.” The actor also says how his friends have often told him that he must up his game, while he firmly believes that simplifying himself and his acting is the key to natural performance.
It is very interesting to note how Dinesh’s body of work has never really made him look like a mass star, but rather a person who commoners could encounter in their lives. Be it Attakathi, Cuckoo,and Visaranai, Dinesh’s roles have carefully threaded the path away from stardom and leaned more towards the performative nature. The actor says how his struggle to enter the industry began in 2001, but it took him nearly a decade to land the role in Attakathi. “There was a point when nothing worked and even the project in which was supposed to be the lead, never took off. When I thought of giving up, I gave auditions for Attakathi and got a call. My beginnings were films like Attakathi, Cuckoo, and Visaranai, which are exceptions in mainstream cinema. Yes, there have been times when I was disappointed that I did not get big roles and productions, but it took some time for me to realise that these types of roles are what made me love my craft. Now, I can say I am a very happy artist,” he adds.
On J Baby
In line with this, J Baby is also a film that is expected to bring the performative nature of the cast. Dinesh, who will play Urvashi’s son in the film, says, “The director of the film, Suresh Mari is a polite person. We have worked in Kabali together and my first reason to work in J Baby is him. Secondly, I still have a respectable distance with my mother. There is a scene in this film where I must search for my mother. Probably it is this scene, which has made me take it up and do the film. It made me emotional.” Dinesh says that his character is that of a helpless and emotional man, which he is not in real life. “I am a jovial person, but this character wanted a 180-degree turn and be more vulnerable. I hope to have done a better job.”
Dinesh says he is an actor who would need his time off to come out of the role even after the cut. “I take a lot of time, and I require a lot of time to heal after I do a film, and come back to normalcy. But in the case of J Baby, I was fine since it was all about the emotional connect.”
On Lubber Pandhu and direction
Up next, Dinesh will be seen in a cricket-based film Lubber Pandhu directed by Tamizharasan Pachamuthu. “He will come up as one of the most important directors and had insisted very much that I do the role. It will be a lovable character and I am also very honoured to play a fanboy of late Vijayakanth sir and we had hoped he was there with us to see the film,” says Dinesh who plays sports in real life too. Dinesh also has an avid interest in direction and says, “I am very interested. I had released a poster of a film titled Vayiruda sometime ago. It requires a lot of physical transformation. I would like to produce it myself one day and once I get the financial backing for it, I will make the film.”
Coming back to J Baby, when asked how the film will be entertaining in theatres, Dinesh replies, “Just like how Thenali was an emotional comedy film for Kamal Haasan sir, this film will be Urvashi Ma'am. I remember her 1995 film called Maya Bazaar in which she played dual roles and was a laughter riot. Similarly, this film too will be a laughter riot with emotional backing. But no matter what, it is up to the people who decide on coming to theatres but we assure that J Baby will be all worth it.”