Actor Jagan, who became a name to reckon with after playing a part-time smuggler in KV Anand’s Ayan, is overjoyed that he got the opportunity to share screen space with none other than Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan in his latest outing, Indian 2. Jagan played Thambesh, who runs a YouTube channel called Barking Dogs along with his friends. "I think it's an opportunity of a lifetime to be part of this franchise called Indian, to work under the mantle of director Shankar and team up with my favourite, Ulaganayagan, for the second time after Thoongavanam."
Since the film had been in the making for a long time, we asked Jagan if the wait exasperated him at any given point, and he said he had absolutely no qualms about it. "One of the prime reasons for the delay was the pandemic. There were some production issues as well. Meanwhile, Shankar began work on Game Changer. I think the delay was a blessing in disguise because Indian 2 hit screens after one of the biggest hits of Ulaganayagan, Vikram. Hence, there was a huge buzz around the film.”
The only gripe he had was that he couldn’t spend ample time with Kamal Haasan because his character Senapathy was in action in a different part of the world. “Moreover, Kamal sir would arrive on the sets much before all of us and would face the camera only when the shot was ready, as he couldn’t afford to sweat, courtesy of the prosthetics.”
However, on the last day of the shoot, Jagan did manage to spend some time with the Ulaganayagan and even offered him a gift. “I gave him Quentin Tarantino's book, Cinema Speculation. He then regaled me with anecdotes of how Quentin Tarantino went on to become a filmmaker and how he had spoken highly about the graphics in Aalavandhan.”
Jagan straddles multiple worlds; he is also an advertising copywriter, theater personality, and TV personality. He states that he cherishes every opportunity. “I quit my job as an advertising copywriter and became a full-time actor for the simple reason that I was getting chances. I think an actor should be open to anything that comes his way. You just have to be honest to lend credibility to a character.”
Jagan has been facing the arc lights for almost two decades now, and we ask him about the evolution of comedy throughout the years, and he opines, “I think comedy was commendatory during the times of my screen icon, Nagesh. I loved Kamal Haasan’s Michael Madana Kama Rajan. Thereafter, I think Vadivelu has done a remarkable job. He is a prolific actor who can pull off any role with effortless ease.”
There was a time when Tamil cinema thrived on separate tracks for comedy, but in recent times, comedy scenes have blended into the narrative. “I think there’s a silver lining there. Today, the audience is particular about the length of a movie. So, if the scenes were to be trimmed, our tracks would be the first to go.”
With ace comedians like Vivekh no more and Vadivelu not as active as he used to be, is there a void in Tamil cinema comedy? “If there is a void, people like me should be getting more opportunities, isn’t it? I'm ready to take up the challenge, though.”
Check out our full interview with the actor!