‘He has never offended anyone in spite of his criticism on Communism or any ‘isms’.’
Priyadarshan describes the late Sreenivasan as the’ Satire King’ of Kerala.
They worked in the most films together, and highlighted Sreenivasan’s talent as an actor and a write.
Priyadarshan looks back at his association with his friend, and tells Subhash K Jha, “He was an erudite man, an incorrigible humourist, a voracious reader, with so much vision on politics and social issues.”
Your association with Sreenivasan is not just as actor-director, but he also co-wrote some of your earlier films.
Not only co-wrote, he wrote a lot of my films.
I have done around 21 films with him.
More than anything, he was an erudite man, an incorrigible humourist, a voracious reader, with so much vision on politics and social issues.
He had a deadly sense of humour.
He has never offended anyone in spite of his criticism on Communism or any ‘isms’.
Nobody turned against him for his critical satire because of his sense of humour.
The socio-political criticism was hard-hitting but he used to soften the blow it with his humour, dilute the deadly impact with unbelievable sense of wit.
Did you use his political commentary or just his sense of humour in your cinema?
No, no, a lot of our films were about the social issues of Kerala.
Did you first know him as an actor or as a writer?
Both. His combination withlal was talked about in those days.
He has directed only two films, but those two films are supposed to be classics.
Did you share a bond beyond cinema with him?
We had a great relationship, more like friends than as filmmakers.
Initially, when I started doing slapstick humour, he is the one who told me, ‘Why can’t we use humour to address social issues?’
He was known as the Satire King of Kerala.
His political humour was akin to R K Laxman’s.
Political satire is a very, very difficult genre but even a rickshaw-driver could understand Sreenivasan’s humour. He would write so well!
Political satire will offend someone, so he did get threats. But at the same time, people smiled at it.
When was the first time you worked with him?
I met him through Mammootty because he was Mammootty’s friend.
He was struggling at that time.
He says it is I who made him a writer. So, whenever he got an award, he said it belonged to Priyan.
Do you know why?
Why?
Because in the beginning, he was struggling to be an actor. He didn’t want to be a writer.
Once I got stuck in a script, and he came to my rescue, albeit very reluctantly.
He was doing small films at that time, not working very much.
I had just started my career then.
I asked him if he wanted to act.
He said yes.
So I gave him an ultimatum: If you want to act, you have to write.
How did you know there was a writer within him?
Because I knew him.
We used to discuss, and he used to put forward his ideas with great clarity and interest.
See, he never wrote in those days, but he used to sit and give suggestions to writers.
I found he’s better than those writers.
But then, when I was desperate, I said, if you write, you can get a good role.
He said, you can write it yourself.
I had a plot then, and the shoot was about to start in five days.
He told me, I can’t write, I’m not a writer.
So I said, go home then. You are not getting a role unless you write.
So what was his response?
He said, I can go home. But my issue is, I have nothing to do at home. So it’s better that I write.
He had an unbelievable sense of humour.
Recently, about 10 days ago, he fell down.
I told him, ‘Sreeni, we are both becoming old, we have to be careful.’
He says, ‘I was careful, but what about this floor? At least, the floor should understand an old man is walking, no?’
He could see humour in every situation.
Do you think he was a better writer than an actor?
Yes, even though he acted more than he wrote.
Director Nandikar and I worked in the maximum number films with Sreenivasan.
Priyan, you have worked with so many brilliant artists, whether it is actors, writers, musicians. Have they enriched your life?
Yes, definitely. Film is not a one-man job, it is a team effort.
You need strong people to support your film.
I never call it ‘my’ film, I call it ‘our’ film.
You need people who are better than you for you to learn and go forward.
Mine is a journey of 40 years and 98 films.
Sometimes, they worked and sometimes, they flopped.
I don’t care about that because that is what I wanted to do. When I touch 100, I will say goodbye to cinema.
Maybe another 100 after that?
No, I won’t direct. Maybe I will write.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
