The term ‘JigarThanda’ has various definitions. It literally means ‘cool heart’ but can also be interpreted as cold hearted. In the bylanes of Madurai it’s a cold, milk-based drink to beat the heat. It’s also a cult classic in Tamil cinema about a wannabe filmmaker and a ruthless rowdy. The key character of ‘Assault’ Sethu called for casualness and callousness which Bobby Simha, a promising actor, played to perfection. Ravi Shankar got a chance to reprise the role in the Kannada version and grabbed it with both hands especially since it was being produced by his pal Sudeep. He may have lent his voice to thousands of characters but as an actor he’s just touched his first milestone. He’s a bundle of excitement and nervousness when I meet him.
“I’m excited about every film of mine but this happens to be my 50th film and the character is one of its kind,” said the busiest baddie in Kannada cinema. Actors are hungry for challenging roles and when they watch a colleague essay a well-etched character, there’s a sense of envy but remakes pave the way for a different interpretation.
“When we first watched the film, my son felt the role suited me if remade in Kannada. I was toying with the idea of suggesting the film to a prospective producer when I got a call from Sudeep. I thought it was another film co-starring him but was pleasantly surprised when he said ‘Jigarthanda’. I was happy because if anyone can match the passion with which the original was made, it is Sudeep,” says Ravi, with a glimmer of gratitude in his eyes. The irony is that Ravi, an affable, gentle person whose life revolves around his family, transforms into a seething demon on-screen. The character he plays in ‘Jigarthanda’ is a ruthless gangster who wants to don greasepaint. “I was fascinated by the transformation and the various shades in the character.”
Karthik Subburaj, the young director of the original, is a diehard fan of Rajinikanth and arranged a special show for him. The superstar, bowled over, especially by the role Simha played, said he’d have accepted if the director had approached him.
“He started his career as a villain and left a mark. Even recently, the way he uttered ‘Lakalakalaka’ in ‘Chandramukhi’ sent shivers down our spines. A fact few people know is that Sudeep was approached to play the role in the original. I feel blessed to do this role in Kannada.”
The most difficult sequence for Kamal in ‘Swathi Muthyam’ was when he had to dance like someone who did not know how to. It took days for him to get it wrong rightly. Similarly, Ravi’s character in the film has to act like every emotion evades him. That’s difficult for a seasoned actor.
“That’s a crucial point. Only Sudeep and I realised and discussed about this. I had to show the nervousness of someone who hasn’t faced the camera, who doesn’t know what to do with his hands. I had to curb all my natural impulses as an actor. I asked my make-up man who hasn’t faced the camera to read the dialogue and used it as reference. I think I got it right on the third take. Sudeep was happy.”
The security person at the hotel we meet recognises him as Armugha from ‘Kempegowda’ which catapulted him to fame but Ravi has shown a gift for comedy and surprised his fans with his dancing skills in ‘Adhyaksha’. In ‘Jigarthanda’, he sings a song too. “There’s a song that introduces the villain. We were pondering about this when Sudeep suggested some lines I’ve delivered that audience still recite. It developed from there. Today I’m delighted that it’s in the top five playing on FM radio.”
For somebody who’s passionate about cinema, Sudeep can be called the creative controller of ‘Jigarthanda’. “He wasn’t always on the sets but you could call him that. He was part of the story discussions, the song composing and the editing. His involvement is total.”
You’ll always have the director of a remake stating that he has tweaked things to suit ‘local nativity’. Nobody knows what that means but it’s his way of saying he’s not just a copying machine. Ravi Shankar laughs when I mention this. “I’d call it an image makeover for me. To be frank, Simha, when he did this role, did not have an image. That was an advantage.
Nobody thought the film revolved around him. They fell in love with the character. Here, I’m established and people know my style of acting. They have seen my various shades be it comedy, dance or villain but in ‘Jigarthanda’ there’s an emotional element towards the climax. That’ll be new for the audiences. There are no major changes content wise,” says Ravi. The film hits the theatres today and we’ll have to see whether the audiences take the film to heart or give it the cold shoulder.
sshivu@yahoo.com
