Words  Vijay Sethupathi  stare at you from various spots at the actor s nondescript office at Valasaravakkam in Chennai. One particular signage is tastefully done — the word  Vijay  is made up of the varied characters he has played thus far, while ‘Sethupathi  consists of the films he has done.

Vijay Sethupathi has indeed arrived. From the young boy who was doing things like serving pizza and playing cricket, he has grown up... to playing a don (Vikram Vedha), a cop (Chekka Chivantha Vaanam) and a photographer (96). This week, he’ll be seen in a new avatar — an elderly actor in Seethakaathi. In a candid conversation, he opens up on his choice of subjects and why he loves his profession. Excerpts:

How do you look back on 2018, probably your most productive year so far?

I ll know that only after a few years. I fondly think of 2015 and 2012, my initial years. Of course, 2018 has been very satisfying — I did a Mani Ratnam film, played villain to Rajinikanth in Petta, saw success with 96 and worked on a Telugu film. And now, Seethakaathi is ready for release.

So all has been well?

Not entirely. This is the year I faced the maximum financial setback — I lost ₹11 crore, due to reasons I don t even know entirely.

Seethakaathi  is your 25th film. How significant a moment in your career is this?

I feel that if you become too happy with your career and roles, you change into a different person. That I am currently at a place where audiences expect my next film, gives me a lot of happiness. That a subject like Seethakaathi happens to be my 25th film gives me joy. But acting is not an easy process at all; it is a big challenge to present it in an easy manner to audiences.

You have only 40 minutes of screen time in the film. Doesn’t that bother you?

That 40 minutes is the film. It will be intense. The rest of the film will be the reaction to that impact. The subject will be commercial, but not in the same style you’re used to in cinema.

Prosthetic make-up plays an important role in this film, in which you play an elderly theatre artiste. How was the process?

It was plain boring initially. Then, I became friends with the make-up artiste and somehow started liking it. When I saw myself in the mirror for the first time, I touched myself and could actually feel  like an old man.

The Tamil stage is thriving mainly due to comedies. Actors have moved on to the big or small screen. How useful is the stage experience for any actor?

Every art form is an experience; it depends on what you observe and take from them. To get into rehearsals, go for make-up... the entire process of getting into character for the stage is enjoyable. And of course, the response is instant from the audience. As film actors, even if we perform well once during the many takes, it stands for life. But theatre actors need to perform well every single time without a dip in their energy level.

When you first entered cinema, was applause from the audience the only drawing force?

Definitely. I remember this film called Varnam; that was the first time I got a chance to play a character artiste. I played a character who comes from a less privileged section of society and the first sequence had someone urinating in my mouth. I finished acting it out, and the entire unit clapped. It was overwhelming because that was the first time I realised I could act. I kept telling myself that everyone in the unit — from the director to the lightman — had jobs only because I was acting.

People say that playing a variety of characters is your forte. How much of that is planned?

None of my films are ones that I wrote or directed... so how come I get credited for them coming out well? Nothing is planned. The universe presents choices, and you pick something from that... based on the knowledge you have acquired over the years.

As an actor, are you dreaming cinema all the time?

I think that everyone becomes one with their profession after a while. As an actor, I don t have the habit of looking at the monitor after a shot... I tell my costumer to check it out, and ask him. Sometimes, even if he says it came out well, I get impressions of the scene when I sleep at night and wonder if I did do it well.

You re playing Rajinikanth s villain in Petta. How was the experience facing him and locking horns?

When doing a negative role against someone as big as Rajini, you need to process things fast. You need to understand what he s doing and react accordingly. Working with him was like a class in acting.

In the audio launch of Petta, the compère asked you to deliver a Rajini dialogue and you declined.

How will I do something I cannot do? I remember the first time I went to Koothu-p-Pattarai (Tamil theatre group) and someone there asked me to try my hand at mimicry. I told him that I couldn t even act like Rajinikanth, something that many aspiring actors do. Those were the times I was depressed and wondered if I would ever become an actor someday... when I couldn t even imitate the Superstar.

Petta also sees you working with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is doing interesting roles in Bollywood.

He s a genuine human being who respects his profession. He sincerely believes that if you act in any film wholeheartedly, it will touch the audience.

Finally, if you wake up one day and find yourself back to being an accountant with no one recognising you, what would you do?

I don t know if he d have become an actor but he d have definitely bought the two-bedroom flat he dreamt of and spent a fulfilling life with his wife and kids.