I am a director's actor: Sathyaraj

Veteran actor Sathyaraj, fresh from his success as Virumandi 'Virus' Sambhandam in Shankar's Nanban, says he surrenders to the director's vision, and that has been the reason for his successes
He may have carved a name for himself over three decades in the industry, yet doesn't interfere with the director's vision.
'I am a director's actor, and surrender myself totally to the director's vision, which is I have been able to play characters as diverse as Balu Thevar, Madhava Padayachi and more recently Virumandi Santhanam,' Sathyaraj says.
The actor considers winning the Periyar Award his most cherished prize as an actor.
'It was a humbling experience to see politicians like Kalaignar(Karunanidhi) and other senior actors being touched by my portrayal of Thanthai Periyar in the 2007 film Periyar. I was gifted Periyar's ring, which he had worn for over 75 years, and I feel like the richest actor in the world,' he says, proudly.
The veteran also has words of praise for the hard work put in by the younger actors today. 'The young stars of today put great emphasis on fitness, and have personalized trainers, something we never paid much attention to in our youth. The young actors are very aware of the skills they need to survive in the competitive Tamil film industry, and put in a lot of hard work,' he says, admiringly. Sathyaraj will next be seen acting opposite Nadia in a Telugu film directed by Shiva. 'I have also signed up for a film titled Kalavaram for which discussions are currently underway,' he signs off.