I don't want to be Suriya in every film i do

In an exclusive interview with Kochi Times, actor Suriya, who is on a visit to Kerala, talks about his choice of roles, his identity and more..
How has it been in Kerala so far?
I have been to Kerala, for my first film Nerukku Ner, we shot for 20 days in Kerala. Since then, I have wanted the love of the people here.
Do you watch Malayalam films?
Yes, the latest one was Bangalore Days.I loved each and every aspect of the film. All the actors and the team before and behind the camera have done a good job.
You have a huge fan following in Kerala; can we expect you to act in a Malayalam film any time soon?
Let it happen when it has to. For me to act in another industry, I need to be comfortable with the language. I can overcome that problem, it is not a real issue but there are a lot of decisions to be made. If we make one Malayalam film and release it in other languages, it would be like doing justice to only one region. The others won’t be able to connect to it. There are three other languages in the south, so you need to see how to balance the sensibilities of all three audiences. I have had one experience, and it is very difficult to do a bilingual or trilingual. Also, I might have to forget completely about the commercial aspects and work for art’s sake or for work satisfaction in other languages.
How was it working with a national award-winning cinematographer like Santosh Sivan?
He is a great guy and I have lot of respect for him. He doesn’t carry any baggage and is a chilled out person. He has no airs and treats everyone at par, encourages new talent and gives everyone an opportunity. You can easily get addicted to him.
You have worked in only one remake film from Malayalam — Friends. Any plans to work on another remake from Malayalam or any other language?
You can’t just do a remake because the original has been a hit. There are a lot of other factors too. It is very difficult to recreate magic after it has happened once. Mentally you would know that you might have to compromise. Otherwise you really need to challenge yourself and point out certain aspects which are wanting, and make it better. If you are clear about that, you can go ahead.
Recently, we heard that actor Jayaram’s son Kalidasan mimicked you at an award night
I heard about it but I missed it. Everybody has been talking about it, I have to get back and check it out.
You have played double roles in several films and in your latest outing too, you have one. How is it playing a double role in films? Five or six films have cast me in double roles. After some time, you get into the skin of the character and it is like working in two films, the same way you would approach two different shoots happening simultaneously. There is no similarity or connection between the two characters, so it is like treating a different film altogether.
In my latest outing, not much of computer graphics has been used unlike Maattrraan so I can say it was not a tedious process. The script was such that I couldn’t reject it just because I am offered a double role.
You are crooning a number for a film for the first time
That was completely an accident, that’s all I can say. (laughs)
You have always taken up roles as different as chalk and cheese For me, a change in the look plays a crucial role. In every film I do, I don’t want to be Suriya. I would want to be that character offered to me. I want to play the character that the director communicates to me, as well as I can. I would try my best not to appear as Suriya in a film. But I don’t have a definite look as of now in real life. I can say I have lost my identity now by trying out different looks for every film. You actually forget how you look like. I want people to associate each look of mine with the character I played in that film, just like Shivaji Sir or Kamal Sir.
Heard that you’re actively involved in an NGO Yes, because it is Tamil Nadu I am able to connect to people and speak the language. It is not just about starting an NGO, giving money and doing charity, it is also about dealing with lot of volunteers.
I could connect to people, make it clear as to what I am looking for from the volunteers, especially their time and support.