How Gautami staged a perfect comeback with Papanasam

First a disclaimer. It is difficult to surgically remove the gushing fan in you when you interview (for the first time, let me add) someone you have admired as an actor. This morning, I interacted with Gautami, who was among those ruling the silver screen in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam in the 1980s and '90s, and was part of several superhit films of that time.

She makes a comeback to the big screen after a gap of more than 15 years (Is it 16 or is it 18, I ask and Gautami replies, "I don't know, I am bad with numbers!") with Papanasam, a film that has opened to rave reviews. In this remake of the Malayalam superhit Drishyam, Gautami plays the role of a mother who happens to commit a crime to protect her daughter. The story revolves around the effort of the father (played by Kamal Haasan) to ensure his family does not come to grieve over the accidental murder. The cat-and-mouse thriller involving Haasan and Gautami's family and the deceased's parents is what Papanasam is all about.

Gautami calls Papanasam the "perfect comeback", calling her role of a mother to two school-going daughters, "age-appropriate" and one that has connected well with the audience. Meena had played the role in the Malayalam original and the Telugu remake of Drishyam and Gautami made it a point not to watch the film, after the role in Papanasam was offered to her.

"When Drishyam was released, I did see the film till the interval, when I had to leave for some work. But at that time, there was not even an inkling that I would be doing the film in Tamil. But once it was offered to me, I decided not to see the original," says Gautami.

Comparisons are now being made with Meena's portrayal of the role in Drishyam. Gautami says "the comparisons are inevitable". Most viewers who have watched Papanasam after seeing Drishyam have felt that here is a remake that is as good as the original.

The comparison between Mohanlal, who was the lead actor in Drishyam, and Kamal Haasan, and the debate over who was better has been raging ever since Papanasam released this Friday. Having acted with Haasan in several movies, Gautami feels the actor is at the top of his game now in a movie like Papanasam, wherein he essays the role of a common man. She has been closely associated with Haasan's movies like Dasavatharam and Uttama Villain, in which she designed the costumes. And looks like the success of Papanasam will inspire Gautami to sign more films. Her fans, one can be certain, will not complain.