If you spot your favourite star in a five-minute cameo, doesn’t it create a little frisson of excitement? You may term it a friendly gesture or promotional stunt for a film to get extra attention from the audience. But, you can’t dismiss the fact that cameos add to a script’s success. Popular stars are willing to chip in, even for free, to give their friend’s film that extra boost. In Vai Raja Vai, filmmaker Aishwarya Dhanush requested her husband Dhanush to play Kokki Kumar, a cameo from the 2006 Tamil gangster flick Pudhupettai. Suriya plays a cameo in Pandiraj’s upcoming Haiku with actress Amala Paul. The actor was also seen shaking a leg for KV Anand’s Ko for a peppy song. Actor Vishal also plays a cameo in the upcoming Tamil comedy Vasuvum Saravananum Onna Padichavanga (VSOP). Directors like Sundar C make cameo appearances in their own films as a token of authorship, or maybe as a hat-tip to famous directors who have cameo appearances in their own films — for instance, Alfred Hitchcock.
Vishnu Vishal and team, who managed to rope in Arya for their sci-fi film Indru Netru Naalai, says, “When a big star like Arya is roped in, the value of the script gets enhanced. Even for my film Jeeva, Arya was present in the last scene. Arya and I share a good bond. He’s an extremely supportive person, someone I can rely on.”
Vishnu himself did a cameo for his friend Vikranth along with Vishal and Arya for Vikranth’s song Thakka Thakka. “Actually, I was a bit apprehensive of doing it because I am not a big star like Arya and Vishal. But I somehow managed it as they agreed to portray me in a different way,” laughs Vishnu. The actor cautions that friendships shouldn’t be taken for granted in this case. “Unless the script really demands a cameo, we can’t really go in for a cameo,” he clarifies.
When DC contacted Arya, who is credited with doing the most cameos in films, he said that he does this only for the sake of friendship. “It is my way of showing that I am here for them whenever they need me. It is nice of actors and directors to call me as they think up a character for me like that. When they call me, it encourages me to work better. I don’t do cameos based on the star value or the script,” he adds.
Audiences expect something different from each film. Cameos are all about surprises. It also shows the bond between the actors, irrespective of the language barrier. I’m certain that audiences love it,” he smiles. The actor played a cameo in the recently released Indru Netru Naalai, Romeo Juliet and in the upcoming GV Prakash-starrer Trisha Illana Nayanthara. Actor Shrikanth who did a cameo for Madhumita’s Vallamai Thaarayo, says it is a big responsibility as well as a healthy trend.
“If a movie clicks at the box office, it is cool, but when it fails, it reflects badly on the actor. It is one of the ways of showing that we don’t have any ego,” he states.Although nothing stops cameos being part of ‘serious’ cinema, the fact is they work better with a thin comic undercurrent in their character placements. Actor Premgi Amaren who has no qualms about doing cameos, says, “Many times, cameos are placed within a movie to flaunt the influence of the star. Simbu introduced me in Vallavan, so when he approached me for Silambattam and Poda Podi, I did the cameo. It feels nice to do something good for your friends, right?” he signs off.
