Sattamum Needhiyum actor Saravanan: On playing hero after 15 years, life after Paruthiveeran, and less courtroom dramas in Tamil

For veteran actor Saravanan, his upcoming web series Sattamum Needhiyum is special. It releases at the time when he completes 35 years in the industry as an actor, and makes a comeback to playing the leading man after a decade since the release of 2010 film Vilai. He is indeed happy to be back playing the protagonist, as Saravanan says this is all he had been wanting in his life forever. In the series, Saravanan plays Sundara Moorthy, a notary public who takes up a high-profile case much beyond his means.

Salem-native Saravanan was not an accidental actor. He had been dreaming since he was in class eight. “I fixed my aim on cinema. I began doing theatre ever since then, and was inclined towards performing arts. I explored mime and mono acting, which fetched me much appreciation and further fuelled my passion for acting. But I was so strong that I didn’t do any supporting characters but only hero.”

Sattamum Needhiyum actor Saravanan interview

It was for this, Saravanan, after pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Tamil, enrolled himself in film acting course in Chennai. And in a couple of years, in 1991, Saravanan made his entry into Tamil cinema with Vaidehi Vanthachu. The actor says that his acting courses have always helped him, even with Sattamum Needhiyum. Saravanan plays the role of a lawyer in his 50s, as he goes on to say, “I heard this story about 6 months back through the writer, and once the project was mounted, he came back to me. It so happened that the project fell into my lap again. A good film takes its way to be created.”

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With Sattamum Needhiyum being a legal drama, Saravanan says the genre is less explored than before. “There were some films like Vidhi (1984), Sattam Oru Iruttarai (1981), and recently Jai Bhim. But courtroom dramas are very rare to be made here.”

Sarvanan feels that after the COVID pandemic, the views and perception of audience have widened beyond the theatre. “OTT platforms have entered every home these days, and more than that, it has given life to many daily wage labourers and artistes in Tamil industry. I see that as a good opportunity. Even Sattamum Needhiyum was shot like a film, and grand sets were built. There were as many junior artistes as much as there would be for a Rajinikanth film. I was astonished by it. This show was made as close to a film and was made on par in terms of quality,” he adds.

'Our stories and characters have taken a drastic change'

He also credits the OTT space, which has widened the scope of stories, including exploring stories of people at different ages. With Saravanan playing an underdog lawyer who is vulnerable and in his 50s, the actor says, “Our stories and characters have taken a drastic change. There is no doubt that we will get a theatrical reception for a story about a 50-year-old man. Instead, we go straight into the homes of people through streaming.”

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The actor recalls how the first time he heard the story of Sattamum Needhiyum, he was determined to do it. “I decided that this show will be a milestone in my career, after Paruthiveeran. And that is how it has turned out,” he mentions.

Speaking about his role as Chevvaazhai in Paruthiveeran in which he plays the role of hero’s maternal uncle, Saravanan says he is tired of being attached to the role even as the film released more than 15 years ago. “I have been asked always to keep the same moustache I had kept for the character, and I do not like to do the same role. Had I done the same roles, I would have been vanished.”

Saravanan says that he is determined not to repeat his roles or his expressions in his projects. “There is a scene in Sattamum Needhiyum in which I cry after my son degrades me in front of my family. It is my film institute acting which helped me to perform the scene in the shoes of Sundara Moorthy. I was able to get away from stock expressions that the actors tend to get used to.”

Concluding the conversation, Saravanan says that he is happy and content with the path he is on, and there is no decision he would want to be taken other way. “I have seen some failures, have lost my hero market, but with Paruthiveeran I proved again that I am a good actor. This series is another example of it.”