It is a sad fact that Radharavi has been typecast as either a loud villain or a emotional supporting character at least in the past decade and it is unfortunate that such a highly experienced and talented person has not been well utilized by our industry for the past many years. In 2014, he would team up with a filmmaker who is highly committed to cinema and knows the real worth of actors and reiterate his versatility as a performer and expertise in bringing life to any character he undertakes to perform.

But Radharavi has got a new leap as a supporting actor in Tamil films after he acted as father who is struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of his only loving daughter in director Mysskin`s Pisasu` that released in December 2014. Radharavi got to play a lengthy and pivotal character after a pretty long gap in this film and with his no nonsense performance he proved he is the apt choice for that character. Anyone who had watched the movie would have felt the pain of a father in the scene in which he identifies that his dead daughter is roaming as a spirit and breaks down and pleads to take him with her.

In fact there is an interesting backstory of how Radharavi was cast in the film. Probably due to his outspoken nature he has incurred many enemies in Kollywood making and many top directors do not cast him in their films. He was one of the guests for the audio launch of Mysskin`s Onaayum Aattukuttiyum` in which he did not have any qualms to openly seek a chance to act in Mysskin`s films. Mysskin in his speech conveyed his high regards for Radharavi as an actor and he is waiting to cast him in a role that will justify the casting of a great actor like him.

We have seen various instances of such assurances given by celebrities in public gathering, going under the carpet. But Mysskin proved to be an exception and cast Radharavi in his very next film and that is Pisasu`.

After Pisasu` it was as if Kollywood filmmakers and producer were alerted again about what this indomitable actor is really capable of; In the past one and of years Radharavi has given most memorable performances of his illustrious career in Tamil films.

In Irudhi Suttru` the earliest critically acclaimed super hit of 2016, Radharavi got a short role which comes hardly in four scenes but still managed to leave an impact. He acted as a well-wisher of the lead actor Madhavan, an short-tempered boxing coach. While Radharavi made the audience unanimously applaud with cheer in the scene in which he reveals his relationship with Madhavan, he made us take a respectful notice of his presence in the climax scene where every character gets emotional and he tries hard to control his emotions given his age and stature but still could not control tears flowing down.

In Jil Jung Juk` a black comedy film set in an imaginary world. Radharavi played the comical villain Rolex Rawther and managed to bring the roofs down with his funny antics and brilliant dialogue delivery.

But it is his performance as a Judge in Manithan` which can be considered as one of the towering performances of his illustrious. Generally the roles of Judges are limited to a few scenes and there is a regular set of dialogues which they often get to utter in Tamil cinema. But for the first time probably in Tamil, this Court Room drama had lengthy, pivotal and a well-written Judge character and that went to the right person. Radharavi literally stole the show in the film, easily outperforming the protagonist Udhayanidhi Stalin and Antagonist Prakash Raj in the pre-climax and climax sequences of this critically acclaimed hit film. The scene in which he loses his cool, for a moment forgets his staute and lifts the paper weight on his table to throw in on the senior lawyer Prakash Raj who keeps shouting even after repeated warnings and finally succeeds in establishing his superiority in the court room evoked thunderous applause from audience. But it is to be noted that Radharavi`s overall performance in the film itself deserves high praise and he had played the role perfectly in each and every scene of the film with apt body language, expressions and dialogue delivery fitting a senior judge who looks timid in initial scenes and becomes a tornado in the later parts

Radharavi acted in Marudhu` which had Vishal as the lead actor. While all others were surprised on how these two actors who were at loggerheads and indulged in war of words during the Nadigar Sangam elections agreed to work together the two actors involved behaved like professionals. Radharavi played the role of a politician who holds the grip over the small town and retains his power with the help of local rowdies and finally gets killed by the one violent and venomous thug whom he had nurtured. Even in this film he had only a few scenes but made a lasting impression and perfectly resembled a big shot.

In Iraivi` directed by the prominent new age filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj, Radharavi was cast as the father of the lead actors and appeared only in a few scenes. But still managed to make his presence felt with minor expressions of grief over his the sad state of affairs of his son and guilt of not having treated his now bedridden wife with the respect she deserved. He was a scream when he shouts at a nurse who continuously disturbs their discussion at a hospital room.

It can be said that the roles in these films have lead to the resurgence or reinvention of the versatile performer Radharavi.

The senior actor is presently acting in Singam 3` with Suriya and a few other films. We hope in the coming years he gives more memorable performances like he has given in the above mentioned films at least for Kollywood to feel proud for having rendered justice for a actor`s true potential.