Know your CS Member – CS Raamanaathan V

Know your CS Member – CS Raamanaathan V

Tell us about your student days; when you registered for CS course. How you were attracted to this course.

I finished my Degree BA Corporate Secretaryship in 1986 and immediately went into an employment as Office Assistant..

Joined ACS, late in the year 1987.  In those days the options were limited to pursue a Professional course.  Of the three available, I was attracted to ACS as it contained Law and also allowed me to pursue the course whilst in employment. 

Please share about the beginning of your career. Were you in employment in any Companies?

As was indicated above, I started my career as an office assistant.  Thereafter, joined a company for writing books of accounts and stayed there for a period of 2 years.  Then broke my employment to complete Industrial Training.  I qualified in 1991 and joined a group company as Company Secretary. Was in employment in various companies spread across industries till 1999.

When did you start practice? Must be one of the early entrant..

Yes.  Started my practice in the year 1999.  When I first started, the market was not aware of Compliance Professional or Company Secretary as well.  Was always getting a cold response from Corporates / Clients during those days.

When and how were you attracted towards drama?

I was always fond of acting, emoting etc., right from my school days.  Once in late 2013, I was kind of making a statement, that am not getting opportunities (though I never tried hard for that) to a good friend of mine.  He introduced to his friends, who are and even now running a Tamil Theatre Group called Dummies Drama.  With them, I was given a break and did my first show called HANUMAN which is a story about the Rocket Launch.  I did the character of ISRO Chairman.

Tell us about some memorable dramas you acted and appreciations you received.

Acting in Live shows are always a challenge.  To emote in front of so many people, and the strong lights focused on you is always demanding.  The dialogues have to be by heart and the movements have to be in sync with the fellow artiste.  There is no question of a redo.  If you mess up, the next actor should rescue one as well. Having  done different roles, I enjoy all most all of them.  In some of the Dramas, I was the one given the opportunity to give a pep or create that element of comedy as part of the script.

All the roles I did was well received by the audience.  You can visit our site for the no. of creations.  www.dummiesdrama.com.

How did the first break in film industry came?

I guess, in 2016, after one of my shows, I was approached by an Associate Director to do the role of a Church Father.  Accepted that and went thro the grind.  It was a different experience.

What are the films you have acted and in what characters? Any current projects in pipeline?

So far, I have acted in 3 Films.

1.    KUTTRAM 23 as Church Father.

2.    VELLAIKARAN as a Businessman.

3.    IMMAIKA NODIGAL as a Church Father.

Some projects were told to me and are yet to crystallize.

Drama or Cinema? Which one you like the most?

Difficult to answer.  With the passion in stakes, I love both.  Drama for the electrifying atmosphere from the stage of rehearsals to the show and often repeat and in Cinema, so far, my experience is couple of days of commitment.  Only challenge in Cinema is that, you need to emote both at the time of shooting and in dubbing.  The finesse is more in Cinema as even a minute movement can cause a retake.  One has to be patient more in Cinema till the final output is reached. 

Both drama and cinema requires tremendous amount of time; how do you manage profession and this passion?

As it is, when you are indulging in passion, you forget the pressures of time.  As I mentioned earlier, Cinema requires committed time, whilst in Drama, you can be little flexible.  Save for byhearting the dialogues, the rehearsals are done with the availability of fellow artiste, in various form like physically, thro skpe, thro tel and video recordings.  In Drama, we are a well knit group and as such dates and time are exchanged earlier.  Calendar are blocked and if there are surprises, adjustments are made.  You may note that most of the Artiste are senior in various vocations.    So far, excepting on a few occasions, I did not feel the pressure.  Once committed, I stay and stand by it. 

Any thoughts that you would like to share for the CS who have similar (not necessarily in acting or in cinema) on how to nurture such passion

Simple.  Try to be focused and keep planning ahead.  That’s the best way to handle Time and Travel constraints.  I try to make my passion as part of my professional life as well.  Thus, if one wants to stay ahead, we need to innovate and be different from the normal life.