Vasan Bala Wanted Me To Approach My Role Like Nagesh: Bagavathi Perumal

When we look back at our past selves, there are moments that make us wonder how we got to be so immature at some points in life. This becomes even more apparent when an old friend points it out. We go into denial and argue to protect our ego. But what if we were given the chance to recreate that very childish act years later? This is what happened to Bagavathi Perumal (Bucks), during the filming of Balaji Tharaneetharan’s Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom (NKPK, 2012).  

Inspired by an eventful incident from the lives of four friends — Bucks, Balaji, Prem Kumar (DOP of NKPK, director of 96) and Saras — the film follows the story of Prem, who experiences retrograde amnesia following an accident, a day before his wedding. So, when Bucks, who happened to play the reel version of himself in NKPK, was narrated a scene by his best friend Balaji, he was surprised at his own immaturity. Around the 40-minute mark, Bucks gives a mini lesson on the human brain to Balaji, scaring the wits out of his friend in a rib-tickling sequence. 

“This happened in 2007 and the rehearsal for the film began in 2011. Over the years, I matured and my thinking would have changed, right? But when we did such scenes, Bajji (Balaji) insisted that this was how it happened and that he was not trying to ridicule me. But I was adamant that I would not have done such things. I was like Enna veche enna comedy pandreengalaada (You are using me to make fun of myself),” he laughs.

However, a few days after rehearsal, Bucks began embracing the film’s vibe. “This pleasure, excitement and energy of the set was my turning point. I then started enjoying the process.” NKPK was a turning point in the career of Bucks, who has since been a staple in Tamil films for standout supporting characters including films such as 96, Super Deluxe, and most recently, Thunivu. 

NKPK is the film that made him a true actor, he says. “It was not just about it being my debut film but also about how big and important my character was. It established me and I got a way to survive in cinema.” Bucks entered the industry with the dreams of becoming a filmmaker. He recalls growing up listening to bedtime stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata as a two-year-old. “I remember my grandfather used to make me narrate the previous day’s stories,” says Bucks, remembering how that ignited a passion for storytelling. This passion was further propelled when his father bought him a VCR player when he was in the seventh grade, which he spent easily watching around 100 films. “I learnt a lot from watching films. Films like Nayakan (1987) and Mounaraagam (1986) make you think about life. They also taught me the impact of good storytelling. That’s how my fascination for cinema and storytelling began.” He then went on to work as an assistant director with Karthik Ragunath, Gautham Vasudev Menon (Kaakha Kaakha) and Krishna (Sillunu Oru Kaadhal). He was in fact writing a script for his first feature when NKPK happened and thus began his acting journey. 

While NKPK established him as an actor, his short film Cha directed by Karthik Swaminathan (Mughiz fame), which had him play a 35-year-old with the mental capabilities of a five-year-old, showed his acting prowess. This short film is also the reason why he got to play one of his career-best roles, SI Berlin in Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s Super Deluxe (2019). Having only played positive characters on screen, essaying the repulsive Berlin was a departure for Bucks. “Kumararaja did not narrate the story to me. He just told me it was a negative character, and that it wasn’t even a generic villain, but it was that of a pervert,” says the actor. “I had been wanting to play a negative character for such a long time and working with Kumararaja was on my wishlist.”

He had confidence in the character and the film. However, there was something he was worried about. “People were calling me for good-guy characters and friend-of-the-hero roles before Super Deluxe. Sadly, there is a certain typecast practice here and only a few actors like Raghuvaran sir have managed to break that.” Fortunately, when the film released, his fears vanished. “I think I am blessed that way.”

Like a chain reaction, his performance in Super Deluxe got him the chance to do an Asian Paints advertisement. It wasn’t the ad in particular that gave him his next big break, but the director he worked with did: Vasan Bala. During the shoot, Bala told Bucks that he had a wish list of actors that he wanted to work with and that he was one of them. Bala also told him that they would later collaborate on a Hindi film. “I didn’t take it seriously. It was more like a compliment and I felt good to hear such words from a person of his calibre.”

But after the COVID-19 lockdown, the actor got a call from a casting company who approached him on behalf of Bala. “I was stuck in traffic and I asked them again to confirm if it was the same Vasan Bala,” says the actor. He immediately agreed to do the project and only later did he read the script. That is how he became a part of the Netflix film Monica, O My Darling (2022).

As an actor, Bucks is someone who believes in imagining himself in the shoes of the characters he plays. “I don’t believe in references or emulating certain body languages of earlier performances. There are two reasons for this: I cannot emulate anyone and it will kill my imagination.” So when Bala initially told him that he had a reference in mind, Bucks wasn’t ready. “But he calmed me down and said, “I am not asking you to refer to any performance or film. I just want you to approach the character like how comedian Nagesh sir would approach it.” And that was a great direction and perspective to look at my character. I told him I will try my best,” recalls the actor.

He remembers the first day he met the film’s cast. Actors Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi and Radhika Apte encouraged him not to worry about his language and do what he does best: improvise. “When supporting actors are trying to improvise on set, it will only work if others react to that improvisation,” says the actor who was elated to see this happen on the sets of Monica O My Darling. 

Although he does not take references from performances, he draws inspiration from people he meets in real life. Besides this process, there is an external factor that helps him understand a character. “When I wear the character’s costume, I find it easier to get into his skin. For instance, when I played SI Berlin, I felt confident as soon as I wore the police uniform. The whole body language changed.” 

His inner circle also helps with charging his creativity.  “You can fail, but you will always rise again when you are surrounded by friends who are also very creative people.” Although Bucks and his friends started out in the industry together, everyone was keen on helping each other out, with no place for jealousy. “This makes our gang special,” he says, adding, “During NKPK, Sethu (Vijay Sethupathi) taught us a lot of techniques. Through such friends, I have also learnt to share my knowledge and experience.” But that doesn’t mean they don’t argue or fight. “Everything gets solved over time. Enadhaan irundhaalum namma pasanga thaan pa (Whatever it is, they are our friends).”

Between multiple shoots and pack-ups, Bucks is pursuing something special in all the free time he gets: he is finishing his first script. It might have taken seven years to finish the first half,  but he is sure that he will make it into a film one day. After all, first love is always special. Having finished 22 years in the industry, Bucks tells us that being in cinema has helped him bring joy to the people around him. “When you get to be part of any artform — like acting, writing, singing, dancing or anything — it will not be easy, ungalukku pidipadaadhu (you will not be able to get a hang of it). It is like losing your way as you walk deeper into a forest. Many tend to run, and only a few take that risk and venture further. But when you take that risk, art will be ready to bless you with things you haven’t even dreamt of. If you realise that bliss, then there is no going back. Once an artiste, always an artiste.” And how does that feel? “Nimathi ah irukku (I feel peaceful and satisfied).”