Radha Ravi

“It's a pity I have been stereotyped as a villain.”

“My father was released from jail, after more than three years of imprisonment, in 1971. Without wasting any time, he wanted to get engaged in theatre. He asked me to join and also enquired if any of my friends were interested.”

“Maybe actors are more passionate about cinema than actresses. Many heroines today seem unable to look beyond glamour.”

“1971-79 was when I shared the stage with my father. We did more than 500 plays together. He was a hard worker, and learning from him was more than a delight. The way he faced challenges and political pressure was a treat to watch.”

“People say I use foul language. I learnt swear words only from my father and YGP.”

“It doesn't matter if I have experienced actors alongside or novices. It doesn't matter if the director is one film old or a hundred. All I'm interested in is doing justice to the role.”

“Item song dancers like Silk Smitha and Jayamalini have become irrelevant. The heroines are doing those dances themselves.”

“DMK is the only political party that enjoys the confidence of the people.”

“All said, even an Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan could not reproduce the magic of the original 'Devdas.'”

“'Karnan' ran for 100 days each at three theatres in Chennai alone. That is a record, since no movie runs for more than 100 days. My hope is that I don't ruin the original if it is remade.”

“I cannot expect actor Prakash Raj, who is versatile across languages, to express solidarity with a cause.”

“In our age of Twitter and smartphones, there is no controlled release of a movie preview. The enigma of movie stars is lost.”

“For me, the character I play is most important.”

“My tryst with theatre began in 1968, after the last day of school in that academic year.”

“I don't like it when filmmakers say, 'Just come like this, sir.' I like to experiment with my makeup. I wish more filmmakers let me do that.”

“When a director narrates a character, I find it normal to ask questions about the character's background, mood swings, eccentricities, behaviour... I do this to make my performance relatable. Directors who don't know their characters well find it difficult to answer these questions and, hence, find me annoying.”

“Theatre owners cannot threaten actors with defamation cases and take them to court or seek compensation for losses incurred.”

“Good looks may be enough for a heroine, but to become an artiste, you need at least a working knowledge of the language.”

“When someone praises me for some speech uploaded on YouTube, I politely tell them I've been acting for many years.”

“When I'm given a role, I'm consumed by a passion to bring to life a character that exists only on paper. I mull over the character for days and internalise his feelings.”