Raj Bharath was last seen in Gurkha.Gurkha came to Raj Bharath when he was looking to reinvent himself—after a string of films that didn’t do quite well at the box-office. “Now that my patience and hard work have paid off, I am hoping to choose scripts with more care,” he says.
Bharath felt no pressure while doing his initial movies—Ainthu Ainthu Ainthu, Onaayum Aattukuttiyum, Natpathigaram 79, Richie, Andhra Mess and Sigai. “No two films of mine have been the same,” the actor assures.
It is monotonous when you take up films for various compulsions, Raj Bharath states. “It is depressing to see the kind of money being spent and the quality of output,” he adds. All changed with the Yogi Babu starrer Gurkha. “Once you give a hit, you are in a stable place. Until then, you don’t know if you will have another film or not. I am looking to do films as the lead. I am already in a place where I can choose my work. As for Gurkha, I instinctively knew I should be choosing it,” Bharath notes.
Has his approach to cinema changed in the last six years? “It is no longer about my performance. I need to pick a good script and make sure the film comes out well, gets promoted and released. Lots of tasks involved. Moreover, the story should be executed exactly as it was narrated,” laughs the actor. For him, there is no dearth of talent to make “entertaining films”, but there is a lack of distribution support.
Raj Bharath has many stories to tell. “Apart from character roles, there were many more offers that came my way. But I was conscious that I don’t repeat the mistakes I did in my previous films. One of them wasn’t fully completed. But we went ahead with the release. In the other one, I was promised that I would be featured as a lead in posters, which never happened. Additionally, I have pending payments to receive that directors promised me. I felt cheap asking for it. The problem is actors aren’t vocal in Tamil cinema. If they speak out, they fear they would be shunned. So most of them sort out their differences behind the scenes,” he rues.
Is he a method actor? “I don’t understand that term yet, though I don’t work too hard to become the character,” the actor grins. But Bharath identifies himself as a spontaneous actor. “I find it ridiculous when directors ask me to act like someone. Filmmaking is a collaborative process and I have a mind of my own. The director and I build the personality and develop the role as we go along. I like it that way,” he observes.
His influences and inspirations? “My biggest inspiration has been life,” he chuckles. After a pause, the actor says he likes Nawazzudin Siddique and Vijay Sethupathi.
Will Raj Bharath do a negative role again? “Only if it is engaging and driven by the script. I look up to films that are made in Malayalam cinema,” he says, adding, “I have so much goodwill among the family audience and it is important that I retain the same. I realised it when I visited the theaters recently. Despite being a villain, they told me I am capable of pulling off the lead role. I am equally bad at socialising and marketing myself. So, I don’t want to risk much.”
Bharath always believes in persistence and hard work. “These terms may sound simple, but I haven’t been bogged down by failures. I know things might take a little longer. All you need to do is work towards it, a bit harder. If you want to do something from your heart, it will happen,” he says.
As the conversation progresses, it becomes evident that the actor is so passionate about cinema. “I’m still a struggling actor, but I can do roles with conviction,” Raj Bharath says.
Bharath feels a little distant as far as the film industry is concerned. “Till this date, not many know I am the son of veteran director-writer Malliyam Rajagopal (who made Savaale Samali). I don’t believe in using his name for my benefit. My interest in acting was an organic process and I am not a trained actor. Film sets were acting schools. I was fortunate that I got to work with directors like Mysskin. There is a different sort of contentment in seeing your name on the screen or when the audience cheer for your performance,” he says.
The actor is thankful for having an understanding mother and encouraging sisters. “I don’t want to do films for the sake of it. I pursue the projects that I like more diligently. When I am not shooting, I travel and that keeps me engaged. I talk to people and observe them. I try to develop stories. I also have rough ideas but nothing concrete. Some day, I would d love to direct films,” Bharath adds.
The self-confessed laidback 35-year-old says he is vocal about what he wants. “When I started, I didn’t want to take the regular route. Had I seen success, I would not be as mature as I am now. Each film that I have done taught me what I should not do which is most important. I would love to collaborate with Kaaka Muttai Manikandan, Raju Murugan and filmmakers who make interesting cinema. I do things that I believe in. Being a part of this mad world is never easy. That is the best part about it,” he smiles.
What if Gurkha was a flop? “There is always the next one. I am a good actor. Give me any role, and I will prove myself. I had seen the rise and fall of people intimately enough not to be taken in by the glitz. This journey has taught me a lot. I don’t give up easily. Though there is a long road ahead, I am happy that I found my path. Up next, I am doing a film as a cop and I am thrilled about it,” Raj Bharath concludes.
