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Suriya: Singham 2 is not like a jolly ride without logic
Suriya is going to roar again as Singham in Singham 2, a sequel to his hugely successful Singham released in 2010.
In this interview, the highly talented actor talks about the sequel and why he is so confident that it will strike a chord with the audience.
Was it the director's idea to make a sequel to your successful Singham?
When we decided to do a film together again, we thought of many ideas, and we felt it had to be bigger than Singham. We got a lot of feedback suggesting a sequel to Singham.
Yes, we know the audience with a lot of love and respect accepted the film but we never thought of making a sequel.And, when the suggestions came, we were sure about one thing; that we would make it only if the sequel is bigger and stronger.
Then, Hari Sir (the director) said, yes, I think I can make something bigger. He said he could visualise something really big.
'I have great respect for the cops and what they do'
What was your reaction then?
I have nothing against sequels. We are all used to sequels, like the ones on Superman, Spiderman, etc.
In the case of Singham, we enjoyed making it, enjoyed working together, and above all, people enjoyed watching Singham.
They even remembered Doraisingham though the film came out in 2010. Not only the people of Tamil Nadu, but those who live in other states also have appreciated the film and the character design.
It was not about one angry punchline or an action sequence; people loved Doraisingham like they did Superman or Spiderman. They loved the way he connected with his work, family, village and above all, his attitude. He is not a uni-dimenional character; he has several layers to his personality.
The sequel is about how he will react to bigger challenges.
So, it is not the success of Singham that made you go for a sequel but the strength of the character...
Yes. I have great respect for the cops and what they do. I was also a cop in Kaakha Kaakha. Hari too wanted to be a police officer. He had in fact, gone to write the exam but didn't.
So, both of us felt it would be interesting to place him in a bigger world with more challenges.
'My character Doraisingham has become more fierce, and intense'
Once you decided to do a sequel, did you watch the original to brush up your memories of how Doraisingham was portrayed?
Of course, I did. In fact, my inspiration was Rajni Sir's portrayal of Alex Pandian in Moondru Mugam.
In Singham, we started off with a fun-loving cop who played football and says he couldn't leave the village and family and go elsewhere. Then he meets Prakashraj and all the action starts. There was a graph in the original itself.
With Hari Sir's dialogues, emotions will come automatically. The way he writes the dialogues, you can't go overboard. There is a realistic feel to the character and the dialogues.
As a person, has Doraisingham changed in the last two-three years?
He has added three more years! Yes, he has become more fierce, and intense. I would say he has also matured.
The film starts with a responsibility. He was already under surveillance. Right from day one, something or the other is happening in his life. From the very first scene, the chase starts.
Is Singham 2 going to be more fast-paced?
I would definitely say that.
'Every scene is written with logic in mind'
While shooting for Singham 2, did you get a feeling of deja vu?
It was like writing the 10th and 12th Board exams. You will not get the same question paper for 10th and 12th exams. For the 12th exam, the syllabus is more complex. Similarly, there are more complex encounters and a more challenging scenario in Singham 2.
Is Doraisingham more ferocious this time?
Yes, he is. This time, he meets not only local challenges; he goes international too. He chases more ferocious international criminals in mid-sea. When he comes to land for the first time to meet Dorai, it will be a sight to see. They are two extremes; one a village cop and the other, an international criminal.
The graph shows how far an honest cop can go despite the backing of the system and the Home Minister. He faces a lot of limitations and he also becomes frustrated like any other cop who works within the system.
I want to say that Singham 2 is not like a jolly ride without any logic; every scene is written with logic in mind. There is nothing illogical in the film.
'I like the Doraisingham who is simple rather than the angry one'
Was it fun playing Doraisingham?
When I get angry, people say I am more black than grey! Doraisingham is also supposed to be a short-tempered guy. So, I had to get angry quite often.
So, I can't say I was in my comfort zone playing him. I like the Doraisingham who is simple rather than the angry one.
Many young boys dream of becoming a police officer. When you were young, did you have any such dreams?
Not really. I was the house captain in school and I enjoyed the authority I had when I was a class leader or house captain.
I must confess that when you wear the police or army uniform, it makes you feel responsible and protective about others. You feel you have to set things right.
Singham 2 has more action, you said. How physically draining is it to act in action sequences?
It all depends on your fitness level. As you age, there is only so much you can push yourself. If you don't do your workout for a week, you are back to square one. Your muscles will say they don't remember! Also, you have to remember what kind of food you need to eat.
'Singham was a flawless film'
Will there be more in the Singham series?
I really do not know. It all depends on the way the audience reacts to this film. When we first made Singham, we knew we had a good film in hand but we never expected the kind of response we got.
In fact, in none of the other versions was anything changed. That shows it was a flawless film. We felt so happy that the film was accepted wholeheartedly by everybody.
What are your expectations now?
We know we have a good film. We are waiting to see how the audience will take it. We feel the film will work.