‘Roles that didn’t come my way in the 80s, 90s, 2000s are finally coming’: Actor GM Sundar
Express News Service
At one point in this interaction with GM Sundar, the actor imitates Roger Federer’s famous crosscourt backhand shot. At various points in this interview, he drops names like Konstantin Stanislavski, Stella Adler, Jerzy Grotowski, and Lee Strasburg. There are references to Lionel Messi’s dream journey in the FIFA World Cup, and Usain Bolt’s famed run in the Olympics. During the course of this interview, Sundar also touches upon the learnings of Karl Marx, and the genius of Sivaji Ganesan.
“An actor should have an understanding of politics, art, finance, and probably a lot of things that exist around him. An actor shouldn’t exist in a vacuum. What really holds an actor in good stead is their evolving interpretative knowledge,” observes Sundar, who is currently on a high after his role in Thunivu has received a lot of love.
“An actor should be very aware. I might like a certain ideology or not, but it is important I have a functional knowledge of the same. I must do the required intellectual homework to portray diverse roles with equal conviction.”
This ‘intellectual homework’ came in handy for Sundar, who bade his time in oblivion for over two decades before bouncing back with Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum (2016). “Even in my low phase, I never lost hope, and I kept on preparing myself, upgraded my craft, and was ready for any opportunity that came my way,” says the actor, who is known for his author-backed roles in not just content-driven cinema but commerce-driven films too.
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“It is important for an actor like me to star in big-ticket films, and I’m glad that H Vinoth gave me an opportunity to work with Ajith Kumar sir in both Valimai and Thunivu. But what really makes me happy is how they weren’t run-of-the-mill roles but distinct characters. The wider audience is the icing on the cake, as every actor needs such a boost in the populist space.”
As someone who studied acting, and is known for bringing nuance to even template roles, Sundar is clear that the rather dismissive approach towards stars and their acting calibre are unnecessary. “Although I always wanted to be an actor and not a star, I got to work with some of the biggest stars of my time like Kamal Haasan sir and Ajith sir. Stars have an edge because they know their USP, and people come in droves to see exactly that. When an actor becomes a star, they know their core audience, so, invariably, scenes are constructed to cater to such fans,” says the Jai Bhim actor, who has no doubt about the need for popular cinema.
“There is always an audience for popular cinema. There are always stars propelling popular cinema. Our stars are brands, and as long as cinema is commerce, the star system will continue to rule the roost.”
These words come from an actor who was launched by K Balachander, and his first three films — Punnagai Mannan, Kadamai Kanniyam Kattupaadu, and Sathya — were connected to Kamal Haasan. However, it is interesting to see Sundar acknowledge another name for making him come to a realisation about his USP. “Nalan Kumarasamy was the first filmmaker to tell me that I had a penchant for black comedy. That undercurrent of humour, first seen in Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum, can be seen in many films in this phase of my career from Magamuni and Writer to Valimai and Thunivu,” shares Sundar, who feels that finding one’s own forte as an actor is imperative to avoid being stereotyped.
“I know casual acting is my forte, but Nalan pointed out my flair for comedy. That is why even if I am playing similar roles in my films, I can bring out nuances that help the character stand out.” Among many enterprising characters he has played in the past few years, there is no doubt that Sundar is best known for his Duraikannu Vaathiyaar from Pa Ranjith’s Sarpatta Parambarai.
“Imagine being in the same space as Vadivelu sir,” says a laughing Sundar alluding to the popularity of his role, and becoming an undeniable part of Tamil meme nation.
Apart from becoming the face of one of the most popular Tamil cinema memes, Sundar is also winning a lot of hearts for the characters he has played in films like Writer, Jai Bhim, Jana Gana Mana, and Mandela. “The roles that didn’t come my way in the 80s, 90s, and the 2000s are finally coming my way. There is a paradigm shift in the way youngsters are writing characters. I always believed that the respect I deserve will come my way. I just had to stay in the game, do the appropriate homework, and never lose hope. I have no qualms in admitting that I am a comeback artiste, and I am sowing the seeds of hope through my own career. If GM Sundar can do it, any actor out there doing their due diligence will find a way too.”
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