Saani Kaayidham has been a game changer for me: Keerthy Suresh

It has been an exciting month for actress Keerthy Suresh. Her recent outing, Saani Kaayidham, which released on Amazon Prime Video, earlier this month, has been receiving accolades from critics and audience alike, and Keerthy's performance as the brazen, ruthless Ponni has been declared as one of her career best. The revenge drama, directed by Arun Matheswaran, has Keerthy sharing screen space with director-turned-actor Selvaraghavan. 

Ponni is a far cry from many of the roles Keerthy has portrayed so far. She belts out expletives furiously, fights ruthlessly and kills the perpetrators of a gory crime mercilessly, one after the after. In a chat with OTTPlay, Keerthy shares her experience working in the revenge drama, where she dons a 'mass' avatar. Excerpts...

Saani Kaayidham has been appreciated by the critics and audience alike. How do you feel?

I am so happy that I cannot even express it in words. Saani Kaayidham has been a game changer for me. As Ponni, I have done something that I have never done before. At first, I was uncertain if I could even pull off the character. And today, here I am. The film is a hit, the work of each and every member in it is being appreciated, including that of the technical team. As an actor, you feel happy when everything works out as a package.

Did you expect to receive such a phenomenal response for the film?

It actually came as a surprise to me. When I heard the script, I knew there were some scenes and moments that were very interesting. But then a film is not just about a few moments, right? It's the whole package that appeals to the audience. And we have got everything pretty much right in Saani Kaayidham.

What was the first thing that went on your mind after listening to the script?

After the script narration, my first question to Arun (Matheswaran) was, 'why me?'. This is not my comfort zone at all. I told him that I was very happy that he had approached me with such a different script. At the same time, I asked him how he even visualised me in such a character. Arun said that because I have not done something this 'raw' before, it would be a novel factor. I immediately gave my nod to the film. I said, 'Let's do this'.

What was that one thing that made you say 'yes' to the script?

I have heard about Arun's previous film Rocky, and I was told that the story, though it delves into an act of revenge, is not just killing around, but it's done for a solid reason. Saani Kaayidham seemed to be on similar lines. When Arun told me that he could only visualise Selva sir in the character of Sangaiah, I could understand that he had a vision about the film. He added that he wanted a woman DoP on board. I had not worked with a woman DoP until then. So, the rawness and the boldness of the script, my character Ponni, the opportunity to share screen space with Selvaraghavan sir and a woman DoP, all these worked for me. I couldn't say no to the film.

You play a character that battles gender and caste bias. How did you prepare for the role?

Honestly, there wasn't too much prep work for Ponni. Before we began shooting, Arun sent me a few news clips of women wailing at a funeral in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. He wanted me to observe their body language and mannerisms. He also shared a few sequences from Hollywood films where women take revenge. This was to gauge the intensity of the action scenes. Arun said that he wanted my character to be raw. He wanted Ponni to be restless and the polar opposite of Sangaiah, a calm and composed person. I just worked around it. 

We don't often see women setting out on a revenge trail in Tamil cinema. Do you think that's one of the factors that appealed to the audience?

I guess so. I think the audience hasn't seen too many women-driven revenge-based subjects in the recent past, at least in Tamil cinema. A lot of people who called me said that it was a refreshing change to see a woman on a revenge spree. And people have not really seen me in such an avatar. The rustic intense character of Ponni, must have been quite different for the audience.

Did the violence get to you at any given point of time?

Not really! When I was working in Mahanati (Nadigaiyar Thilagam in Tamil), my energy and spirit would nosedive after I wrapped up my portions because of the intensity of the character. It took some time for me to snap out of it.

So, this time around, I was very clear that I didn't want to come back to my room, hot-tempered from the set of Saani Kaayidham. But, there were times when I was worried that my anger was growing. However, I managed to control my emotions. The moment they said,  'action' on the set, I would turn into Ponni and when they said 'cut', I would be back as Keerthy. 

I would come back to my room, watch a few episodes of the sitcom Friends, laugh out loud, do my workout in the morning and go back to the set. I had a fixed routine, which I probably didn't have for any other film of mine. A lot of appreciation goes to the team as well who were so co-operative.

How was the mood on the sets?

Oh, it was quite light. We didn't crack jokes and laugh all day, but at the same time, it wasn't as intense as the film. 

How was the experience working with Arun?

It was an amazing experience. I learnt so much from him. He is one of those directors who gives his actors complete freedom and space. He gave us the liberty to use our own words in the dialogues. After filming an entire scene, he would come and say, 'maybe you can add some more drama here'.  That would be his only input. As an actor, you get to push the envelope and explore the most when the director doesn't restrict you in any way. I loved working with him.

And what about your co-star Selvaraghavan? Did you as an experienced actor offer him any tips?

Not at all! Selva sir was quite chilled out on the sets. He had absolutely no airs of being an acclaimed filmmaker. He never interfered in anything. All I could see on the set was Selva, the actor. He gave Arun his space. I think he thoroughly enjoyed the process of observing how other directors worked. He is always open to learning new things.  He once asked me, " You come as Keerthy, work as Ponni. How did you do that?" On the first day of the shoot, he asked me, "How do you do this scene?" I was like, "Sir, You shouldn't be asking me this. You are a legend!"

You both play characters that are polar opposites. How did you strike the balance?

Honestly, there wasn't a lot of discussion or script reading. The scenes were mostly spontaneous. There were only a few scenes, especially the single shot in the beginning of the film, where we required a bit of rehearsal. Since the characters were complete opposites, I observed what Selva sir was doing and tried to do just the opposite. We didn't really discuss how we would go about the scene in minute details. When I look back today, I don't think we have had any major conversations pertaining to acting at all.

How was the experience working with a woman DOP, for the first time?

It was amazing! The kind of energy and strength Yamini (Yagnamurthy) had was immense. She carried a hand-held camera throughout the film. She didn't use any equipment, like a dolly or a panther. And there were hardly any static shots. For the shooting scene in the film's trailer, I had to pull the trigger right next to the camera and she had to duck and cover herself. I was quite petrified. But Yamini was quite gutsy. 

She was always holding a heavy camera and I would feel bad if I had to do many retakes. But I think she, too, enjoyed the process. She even managed to observe my performance keenly, while canning the portions. I was a bit unsure about my monologue in the film and I kept asking her, "Did I do a good job? Was it fine." She would just say, 'yes'. When she is with the camera, she is in her element. Her work has been appreciated by a lot of people and I am really happy for her.  I enjoyed working in the filmso much that I have told Arun that I want to work with the same team again.

So, is there anything on the cards...

Not really! But if something firms up, I would love to work with them again.