SJ Suryah’s dedication impressed Sardar 2 director PS Mithran: ‘He never wanted to waste time’

With ‘Sardar 2’ nearing its theatrical release, director PS Mithran has opened up about working with SJ Suryah and praised the actor’s discipline on the sets.

The sequel to Karthi’s 2022 film ‘Sardar’ is scheduled to reach cinemas on September 10. Karthi and SJ Suryah headline the film, which also features Malavika Mohanan and Ashika Ranganath. Rajisha Vijayan returns from the first film, while VTV Ganesh, Yogi Babu, Shah Ra, Babu Antony, OAK Sundar, Sajol Ahamed and Anbu Thasan are also part of the cast.

Mithran recalled that his initial narration for Suryah involved him demonstrating the character in a style he felt would suit the actor. Once Suryah joined the project, however, the process became collaborative.

The director said he did not find the actor as selective as some people had suggested and instead found him highly cooperative.

Mithran also recalled an incident in which Suryah injured his cheek while filming an action sequence. Although the director suggested stopping work for the day, the actor reportedly took a short break, covered the injury with makeup and returned to the set.

According to Mithran, Suryah completed his work before heading to a hospital to get the injury treated.

The director further highlighted the actor’s preparation before each shooting schedule. Rather than arriving on set and learning about the day’s scenes, Suryah would rehearse several days in advance.

Mithran said the actor would even travel to meet him for rehearsals when their schedules were busy. They would discuss the script thoroughly before filming, allowing Suryah to complete many of his scenes efficiently.

‘Sardar 2’, set four years after the original, is expected to bring back the espionage-action world of the first film while introducing new characters and conflicts.