Geetha Kailasam interview: On ‘Angammal’ and the challenges faced by a supporting actor in Tamil cinema

Geetha Kailasam interview: On ‘Angammal’ and the challenges faced by a supporting actor in Tamil cinema Premium

A humble little film is turning heads in a select few theatres in Chennai. If you were to give it a chance, you might end up watching arguably the best Tamil film of the year yet. Angammal, directed by Vipin Radhakrishnan, tells a tender tale about an elderly woman who has to fight for her identity when her son forces her to wear a blouse and behave in a way he deems necessary to impress his in-laws. Vipin's film is so enchanting that audiences might cease to realise that there's an actor behind Angammal's time-worn gaze. Geetha Kailasam, who has cemented her place as a sought-after character artist, plays Angammal with the conviction of a veteran.

Geetha has been travelling with Angammal for more than a couple of years — the film, which was completed more than a year ago, has been a crowd-favourite in the festival circuit, and has finally seen the light of day now. “Releasing an indie film, especially a female-led film — and of an actor who doesn't have decades of experience — isn't easy. But the way the film was welcomed in festivals like the International Film Festival of Kerala and MAMI was beautiful,” says Geetha, who also won the Best Actor award at the acclaimed Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. The film also won the Best Film award at the New York Indian Film Festival. Given that the film's post-production took place in Kerala, Geetha didn't see the final cut until it hit the festivals. “I was in awe of the filmmaking; it was on a completely different level from what I had imagined while shooting.”

Geetha Kailasam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The character notes of Angammal are rooted to her milieu — she doesn't wear a blouse, smokes like a chimney, and walks barefoot when she isn't riding her moped. Geetha hesitated to act without a blouse. “They then introduced me to the costume designer and I learnt about the kind of saree I had to wear. I started practising wearing a saree without a blouse at home.” Then came the smoking bit: “I am not a smoker, so I had to practice how to strike a matchstick shielding it from the wind to light a beedi — so the cinematographer and the producer, Anjoy Samuel, who was doing pre-production for over four months in Padmaneri, trained me virtually. I meticulously practised it for a few days,“ adds Geetha.

A non-smoker had to not just learn smoking, but appear as comfortable as a woman who hand-rolls her own beedis. “They told me something about smoking with swag, when in fact, I didn't know what ‘swag' meant. I have seen superstar Rajinikanth do it, but I was then just a female character artist who had done some three films!” Angammal, a milk vendor, rides around on a blue moped, and Geetha says that while learning to ride again — 25 years since she last rode a scooter — the experience was fun. “I went to a class, and when I learned to balance the two-wheeler again, I found a child-like enthusiasm for it. I reminisced about the moments I rode a scooter during my college days.”

Geetha then rode around Padmaneri — where the film was shot — and walked barefoot. Except for her lip colour and teeth, which had to match those of a smoker, the role didn't need any make-up. “Also, I tanned naturally for the skin tone.”

Bharani and Geetha Kailasam in a still from ‘Angammal' | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Those who have seen Geetha in Madras Matinee would be aware of her comedy acting skills. In Angammal, she channels this quality in a scene where her younger son and her daughter-in-law force her to ‘behave' a certain way — which she does, only for her natural state to keep re-emerging. “I gave a lot of input while shooting that scene. It evolved on the spot, and we just went with the flow. I like humour, and I saw a small scope for it,” she says, adding that she was happy to see festival audiences understand the emotional nuance of someone trying to be something they are not.

Angammal hardly smiles in the film. Which is why the performer in Geetha explodes in situations that need her to express a measured semblance of a curve. “There were very few instances to smile or laugh, like when she is with her friends, or when she sees her crush. And I was aware of the kind of equation Angammal had with other lead characters. So I instinctively knew where to smile and the measure of it,” she says.

One of the stand-out subplots in Angammal revolves around her equation with her crush, another elderly man. “In fact, after the press show, someone asked us if there would be a sequel to that romance. Some said that portion could have been a film on its own.” Geetha had earlier received a lot of love for a scene in Sarpatta Parambarai, in which her character gets a tender romantic moment with Pasupathy's character. The actor says that she hasn't gotten any story pitches for a film that revolves around middle-aged romance. “If they let me, I would write it myself (laughs). Because I am interested in writing film scripts, and I want to do rom-coms, while looking the way I do in real life. It doesn't matter the age; there are so many nuances to a couple's relationship.”

In her six-year career so far, Geetha has largely played the role of a mother. That and the fact that she has worked with many directors makes one curious if she notices a pattern in how directors are writing such roles. “The experience has been different with every one of them. While there are films like Amaran and Lubber Pandhu, which were entirely about staying true to the story, there are films where it's all about commercial success. And because of that, directors are missing out on progressive ideas or bringing in nuances to their female characters.” Geetha finds it displeasing when directors needlessly make her character cry for melodrama. “I have decided not to pick such roles hereafter. But most of the new directors are thinking about women characters.” She also notices how most on-screen mothers have a fixed character arc.

“We see this happen in television serials as well. However, the responses to such content tell us that audiences like to see strong women. In Angammal, I am so surprised to see how audiences have accepted a flawed character who never cries or shows her emotions in a melodramatic fashion,” she adds.

Geetha is not happy with how portions featuring a character artist often get trimmed, to the extent that they don't even appear in a single shot. “This happens a lot to female supporting characters, especially. When such incidents occur, actors feel demotivated and shaken.” She mentions how elated she was when her character in Madras Matinee got her closure towards the end.

Over the years, many have raised concerns about Tamil cinema lacking a strong pool of supporting actors, something Malayalam has always boasted. One wonders if this is because most Tamil directors are particular about writing their own scripts. “That might be true. Even in Tamil, directors usually work as a team while writing their scripts, but whether they hire writers to be a part of their team remains a concern. And supporting roles need to be better written in Tamil cinema.”

Geetha feels there are no opportunities to learn on the job in Tamil. “Malayalam actors surely weren't born great actors. They had directors who worked with them, helping them grow. Here, the time during the shoot is already very little.” Which is why when director Tamizharasan Pachamuthu gave so many inputs for a scene in Lubber Pandhu, the actor learnt so much about the nuances of controlling emotions.

Geetha Kailasam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Geetha is aware that she has a lot to learn. “When I act with senior artists like Vadivelu, Ilavarasu and Saravanan, I can see how much they know, but I find myself short on space to learn. I want to take my time on the set to do so,” she adds.

Does she wish to try her hand at direction — after all, she did direct a stage play in 2014? “I like working with actors, but I don't think I incline toward direction.” For now, she is eager to see how audiences are receiving Angammal. “I am hoping other directors also watch and promote the film — which happens to good films — and my desire is for my favourite actors, superstar Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, to see the film, because they have always supported good films,” she signs off.

Published - December 09, 2025 01:17 pm IST

Tamil cinema / Indian cinema / The Hindu MetroPlus

Source: TheHindu
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