Sreenivasan's 'Sandesam': I have lost hope that satires will improve politicians
Sreenivasan - the name evokes laughter and contemplation at the same time. The multifaceted actor, screenwriter and director is no longer with us. But he has left behind his works for us to remember him forever. He was a complex character, unlike many of his movies. On April 2023, he sat with team TNIE for an interview. Excerpts from the interview is reproduced below. Your films, for example Sandesham , lampoon politicians of all parties. Are all politicians to be made fun of? Isnt that wrong? Can you point out one good politician? How about our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru? Good that you mentioned his name Nehru scuttled the chances of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel becoming the PM though the latter had more votes. Political cheating started there. How about Achutha Menon? He was good. V S Achuthanandan? He was better. Oommen Chandy? I still like him. Narendra Modi? Its too early to say(chuckles) Modi is into his second term as PM. So you have had enough time to assess him... Havent you heard of the Modi-Adani nexus? Will any political party oppose Adani? Which political party hasnt received money from Adani? Political satires like Sandesham are not made these days What could be the reason? Now politics has gone beyond all theseI have lost hope that satires will improve politicians. Dialogues of Sandesham are still very popular. Had you expected this kind of success then? Not at all... We just wanted to do a political satire. In fact, we had sat on that script for many years and we decided to do it after Lohithadas insisted. How did the idea of Sandesham come to you? That came from my own life (chuckles) My brother was a hardcore communist. When I joined ABVP, I started criticising CPM. Our fights became a regular thing at home. Whatever you saw in the film has happened in my home. You enjoyed a good equation with CM Pinarayi Vijayan once. But you are a staunch critic now I first met him while travelling in a train. Someone approached me and asked whether I was free. When I said yes, he told me that Pinarayi Vijayan is in the next compartment and wanted to come over to meet me. He was an MLA then. I told him that I will go to his compartment. When I met him, he talked about my father with lots of warmth. I became emotional. That warmth connected us for some time. Then what happened? I realised that all politicians are the same That power corrupts everyone. Coming back to the cinema, when did you decide to enter the film industry? Actually, cinema was never in my scheme of things. I always wanted to do theatre. I wanted to join the National School of Drama. But I could not. Then I saw an ad of a film institute in Chennai. I decided to give it a try as it also involves acting. Actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker Sreenivasan who made Keralites laugh and reflect passes away How was the experience there? Ramu Kariat was on the interview panel. The moment he saw me during the interview, he laughed out loud. I understood the meaning of that laugh. He must have laughed thinking how someone who looks like me can even think of acting in films (laughs). Then? He tried his best to dissuade me saying the film world will be very tough for a person like me. But when they realised my passion for theatre, they somehow selected me. Years later, I received the Ramu Kariat memorial award for my film Chinthavishtayaya Syamala . Then also Ramu Kariat must have laughed looking at me from above (chuckles). Do you believe in fate? Regardless of whether I believe it or not, things will happen as per fate. I am not a man of God. You are not a believer? No God worthy of being believed has not appeared before me. (Laughs out) Actor Rajinikanth was your senior at the institute He was my super senior. I have seen his struggle and his spectacular rise. You have acted in the films of many masters. How was that experience? G Aravindan is someone I respect the most. He was a rare human being. so down to earth. So was K G George. How has your appearance played a role in your acting career? My deprived look has helped me in getting roles, initially (laughs out). It means you will get chances in movies even if you look horrible (laughs again). Many out there are waiting for your new movie I am also waiting (chuckles) Rajinikanth got a chance in films because of Kamal Haasan: Actor Sreenivasan
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