Actor Sreenivasan is someone who doesn’t hesitate to speak out his mind and that too without any regret. If he has no idea about something, he doesn’t mind admitting that. Besides, he makes sure that he speaks about an issue only after acquiring a clear idea about it. That according to him is what makes him not regret his words. “I may say things that may not go down well with many people. That is not deliberate. I try not to speak about such matters, though I have lots to say,” said Sreenivasan. However, the actor has no doubt when he says that he doesn’t regret whatever he had spoken so far. Sreenivasan reiterated his unique stands and strong opinions in a special interview with Manoramaonline.
Age and roles
The senior actor admitted that he isn’t offered many roles as he has aged. Sreenivasan added that actors have a particular time for them to shine. “It is important that roles that suit my age should be there in the movies. When it comes to lead roles, the writers think mostly of youngsters. I am not saying that it is my problem or others’ problem. However, it is the fact,” noted Sreenivasan.
No to direction
Sreenivasan who directed super hit films like Vadakkunokki Yanthram and Chintavishtayaya Syamala says that at least an entire year has to be dedicated while directing a movie. “You just cannot do anything else. It is almost like being isolated. That is why I decided to give it up. I am not saying that I wouldn’t direct a movie anymore. I may do it when a story, that suits me, come up,” the actor made his stand clear.
‘Little’ critic
The actor recalled a funny incident when his children Vineeth and Dhyan had visited him in one of sets. He says that they had dropped in while en route to their home town. However, the actor doesn’t remember which movie’s location it was. That day, after acting in a shot, Sreenvasan asked young Vineeth, who was just 6 or 7 years old, how his acting was. Without hesitating Vineeth blurted out that his father’s acting wasn’t good enough. “I felt really happy that he had the sensibility, at that young age, to say that,” smiles Sreenivasan.
Hospital days
“I hadn’t completed dubbing previous day’s portions. So, I reached the studio the next day to complete it. The studio was on the first floor. As I was speaking I felt difficulty to breath. I had smoked a lot in the past. Most of my health related issues are because of that. Director Vinu had asked me to go the hospital. However, I refused saying that I would be alright. A few minutes later, Vinu and a few others had carried me into a car and rushed to the hospital. I could remember only a few sights between the studio, Lal Media and the hospital. I regained my consciousness only 24 hours after that,” Sreenivasan recalled.
Second life
“Anything could have happened in that 24 hours. You could say that I was dead. I got my life back after the doctors performed the CPR on me. Anyways I don’t remember anything. I had felt pain in my chest. The one thing I understood is that no needs special talent to die. Any idiot can die just like that,” said Sreenivasan.
No need for MBBS
Talking about the controversy surrounding his comments on declaring a patient brain dead and organ transplantation the actor said, “I had talked about the procedure of declaring a person brain dead. Most of the hospitals don’t like it when someone talks about such matters. A few incidents which convinced me that brain death doesn’t happen unexpectedly had taken place. I had talked about that. I am someone who takes allopathic medicines. However, those who have learned more about it had claimed that these medicines have problems. I had tried to talk about that as well. Many people ask me whether I am a doctor or had studied MBBS. They accuse me of blabbering something without knowing much about it. There is no need for an MBBS degree to read books. I am not saying that I know everything about medicines. Blatantly accusing that I am against allopathic medicines is to cover up the issues that I am raising,” Sreenivasan makes his stand clear.
No listeners at home
The actor reveals that no one at home really listens to his stories. He said that he was doubtful whether it would be a good idea to narrate the stories to his wife as she asks loads of questions after listening to it. Sreenivasan admits that it is quite difficult to answer his wife’s questions about his stories. “I usually share my experiences in the movies and life with my children whenever I get time. I do that deliberately. They were born into a situation where they had enjoyed comfortable living conditions. However, my situation was not like that. They would understand that such conditions too exist in this world only if I explain it to them,” noted Sreenivasan.
Never endorse Dhyan and Vineeth
“I have never tried to bring my children into the movies. I was already working in films when they were born. They grew up seeing and meeting people related to the cinema. I am mostly thinking about stories, writing and often getting extremely agitated about creating stories. They have seen all of it. They may have been inspired from all these experiences at some point in their lives. I am not responsible for their entry into the movies,” said Sreenivasan.
Kuttimama
Talking about his upcoming movie Kuttimama, Sreenivasan said, “If you hear that it is a good movie, you should go and watch.”
Kuttimama directed by VM Vinu releases on 16th May. Apart from Sreenivasan, actors like Dhyan Sreenivasan, Durga Krishna and Meera Vasudev too play pivotal roles in the movie. Sreenivasan essays the role of a soldier in Kuttimama.
