On your controversial comment on Beema

I was not very mean. I just spoke my mind and Lingusamy did not take it well. I am sure they will do the same with my films too. I believe that a film is your film till it reaches the theatre. Once it reaches there, it becomes everybody’s. When I went with so much of expectations and when I did not like it, I said that. I was in the US when a journalist from Hindu called me for my comments on the films I liked and disliked in their Friday columns. And I said ‘Beema was the film I recently saw and did not like it’. He asked me if he can quote me and I said ‘yes, go ahead’.

What about Vijay?

Similarly when I met Vijay for a story discussion, he gave me a couple of DVDs and asked me to include those elements in my film. I knew I cannot do it. And Ananda Vikadan guys had quoted me with a particular word which is not at all there in my vocabulary. So Vijay had apparently called my PRO and asked why I said that. So my candidness has got me into trouble

What is your take on Dasavatharam?

I liked the different roles and Kamal sir’s efforts. I liked the Telugu speaking police officer. Kamal sir was tremendous. Only he can do such roles. But the film did not work for me. I thought some of the make-up could have been done better especially when Kamal sir is at the helm of affairs and expectations are high. And you expect it right up there. But it was not. But I liked what he did with he characters. I don’t think anybody could have done that kind of work. .

Who is the Tamil director you like?

Mani Rathnam. I like all his films. Recently I saw Subramaniapuram and I liked Sasikumar’s work. I heard that he is acting but I feel a director like him should continue to direct films.

What about Mysskin?

It is too early to talk about him. Let him give at least five films and then I can talk about him.

What are the films that you like in the recent times?

I saw Saroja and liked Venkat Prabhu’s work. It is not the usual run-of-the mill type. It is different and I liked it.

What about Poo?

I saw Poo; it did not work for me. I felt it was one dimensional and there was over acting. I liked the way the film ended with the heroine crying. She is disappointed more with the fact that her lover’s life has not gone right than for herself which will be very difficult for the normal audience to understand.

What about world cinema?

I like all of Martin Scorsese’s films especially Raging Bull. If I want to remake a film, it would be Martin’s Departed. When I made Pachaikili, I had done it from the book and I had no visual inspiration. But people accused me of remaking the film.

Apart from Martin Scorsese, I like Steven Speilberg’s films. My favorite film is Robin William’s Dead Poet’s society. My dad was moved by the film.

Would you make such a film?

I would love to do it. But here one needs to make some 15 films and establish themselves in such a way that audience would come to watch a director’s film unmindful of the cast. When so much of money is involved, there are many constraints. But right now, I am into production and I am free to experiment what I want.

My dad let me live my life on my terms and conditions which I feel is very important. One needs a father like mine. Otherwise you get struck and you don’t know what to do. I feel we all need to let go at some point. I know I am going to be like that with my son. I learnt a lot from my dad. He was not a big shot in town or anything like that. But to me he remains a hero which is want I have shown in the film.

As a film maker, how do you see your future films?

I am trying to do films firstly to satisfy myself. Ten or fifteen years down the line, if you see my repertoire my each film should be different. If I do my next film just like Vaaranam Aayiram I am finished. Though Vettaiyadu Vilayadu and Kaakka kaakka are same cop stories, they were different in their own way. In VV, there is a mature cop who knows it all and there is also a widower and divorcee angle which has not been done in recent times. Every film of mine is an attempt to do something different from my previous work. Basically if audience comes to the theatre without expectations, they would like my films.

Anything you’d like fans to know?

I would like to say that the media was little too harsh on Vaaranam Aayiram because of the English usage. My attempt was to reach out to a larger section of the audience. I don’t want to be struck to a select group. I know a lot of expats who do not know a word of Tamil have come to me and said that they loved the film. Other day, a Sardarji who do not understand English comes to me and says he was moved by the film. The idea of making a film is many people should see it. That way I feel Vaaranam Aayiram has reached out to a wider audience. But the media did not like and even said that the audio was not good. Personally I feel the audio of Vaaranam Aayiram was the best. But when I watch Sun TV’s count down for best films of the year Vaaranam Aayiram does not even feature in the list not because it was not good but it is being distributed by Azhagiri group. This is sad and not right because Sun network is widely watched all over the world and this kind of rating is not based upon the merit of the film but something else. I think they have to be a bit more considerate because today the television channels make their money mostly through films. So it would be nice if they are not partial and not unfair.

Interviewer: Pradeep

Camera & Lighting: Hemananth.B & P. Ganesh Babu

Text: Jyothsna