Any actor has uncertainty in the beginning stages of finding the center of their character. When the director leaves them without the crutch of clearly defined dialogue, this can exacerbate the situation. Stewart knew that casting would be the “make or break” facet of “The Don is Dead.” His focus was not simply on finding exceptional actors but to find actors who could run headfirst into the action of the film and scenes without any trepidation. Stewart was careful to lay out very specific instruction for each scene but wanted the actors to do their fair share of finding the character as well. In the same way that diamonds are made under pressure, the performances on Manoj and costar Tom Macneill are tough and concentrated. As the Don, Manoj was tasked with creating the look of the Don, the feel of the Don, the delivery and acting of the Don. His director wanted each of the actors to feel ownership of their characters so that when they arrived on set they were certain who they were.
It’s ironic that the dialogue was not clearly defined for the actors in this film as it is such a verbal story. In “The Don is Dead” the main Don has died and the other Don’s in the family meet up to discuss who should be the next in succession to lead the family. Each of them feels entitled and what starts as a discussion becomes a volley of verbal threats and exchange of harsh words. It appears that whomever delivers the best verbal threats and comes out strong will ascend to become the Don, at least that is how the audience perceives it. Eventually we learn that all three Dons are also brothers when their mother enters and lets them know that she won’t stand for this behavior. In a comical ending, the matriarch sends the youthful Mafioso to the helicopter at her bidding. What begins as an extremely volatile situation ends in familial acquiescence?
The filmmaker felt that mafia movies had become so formulaic and cliché that the injection of new faces with an unpredictable approach to the story would surprise everyone, including himself. Stewart felt that the use of improvisation would make it very unique because everything performed demands the actors’ best talent and survival skills to get through a scene before the other actors eats them up. One might refer to it as entertainment Darwinsim. It was obvious that Stewart felt that Sakarapani thrived under these circumstance. He professes, “Manoj exceeded my greatest aspirations for performances in this film. He created the exact environment I was looking for. At times he was intimidating his cast members during the scenes. Pretending is not acting. Manoj Sakarapani is an actor who doesn't pretend. The actor has to be real in every aspect of a film and Manoj is a Superstar when it comes to this. The Don is Dead was an instant hit and it would definitely not have been received with such enthusiasm without the spectacular performance Manoj gave in it.”
While Sakarapani had long desired a career as an actor it was the chance attendance he had at this cold reading that led him to starring in a film within the span of less than a year. It was an expeditious and moving experience for him. He confirms, “When I saw myself, after the movie was edited and previewed, I went and was in awe. I had tears in my eyes watching myself on Silver Screen for the first time. I really thought I looked stunning. Everyone involved was incredible but when you see yourself up there alongside them…it finally becomes real. It is something I’ll never forget. The entire experience was very positive and inspirational to me. I was committed to work very hard after this film and I’ve been fortunate to do many more since.”