DIRECTOR MAGIZH THIRUMENI INTERVIEW

That’s for audience to say. As the director and script writer of this film, I have done what I sought out for and am happy with the outcome. Right from artists to technicians, everyone has done their best and their contribution will be taken note of. Now it’s for the people to judge the value of the film.

Neither actually! Other than the thought that Tamil films should have Tamil titles, there is no specific idea that I should go for chaste titles. It just happens. Mun Dhinam Paarthene is from the catchy song from Vaaranam Aayiram and I had that as some kind of reference to Gautham Menon. I always had Thadayara Thakka in mind for an action film. I had already mentioned that it was considered for Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu first but was not used. As it was appropriate for my film, I used that.

For Meaghamann which means captain of the ship, it is just figurative and symbolic. Arya is not the captain of any ship but plays  a character. Meaghamann denotes leadership qualities. A man who is worthy enough, efficient enough and courageous enough to shoulder responsibilities to take up an assignment and complete it in spite of monumental obstacles. The title Meaghamann denotes all these. 

The very premise is different. The story setting and milieu will be different. Though the genre is the same, story is different. When you take thriller, there are many sub-genres in thriller itself-psychological thriller, action thriller and spy thriller to name some. Action thriller will be the common factor for Thadayara Thakka and Meaghamann. Other than that, everything else will be different. 

Arya, by his very nature is casual, down to earth and honest. But for this character, I needed the person to be very focused and intense. Normally, I talk and discuss a lot about the character to my actors about the body language, the manner in which they should speak their lines etc. All these processes happened for Meaghamann too. The result will be there for you to see on screen.

Hansika is a very popular actress. She has been acting since she was very young. She has done many films in Tamil and Tamil audiences are familiar with her. One thing I can say is that in Meaghamann, Hansika’s acting skills also will be noticed. Like in all my films, I had explained about my expectations of her character. She understood them all. She is a professional and it was nice working with her.

It is a very relevant question. Yes, the film is a ‘boy’s film. But at the same time, as the song goes, ‘It’s a man’s world but what is it without a woman?’ In Meaghamann, I have brought in Hansika’s character with a justification. She is not going to be a mere eye candy. There is valid reason as to why she is there in the film. She is an integral part of the script and the story unfolds because of her. 

It is an action film, the milieu is such, the ambience is such and the setup is such. The hero has to accost all these baddies to reach his destination. 

Yes, mostly! Ashutosh Rana comes from a theatre background and is a trained actor. It was great working with him. He could understand the nuances of the character. I always believe in not writing my characters flat. There should be a dimension and personality to the character. The justification of the character was superbly rendered by Ashutosh Rana, Sudhanshu Pandey, Avinash, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mahadevan, Harish Uthaman and Mahagandhi. I really had a blast working with them. They are all fantastic actors and I believe their performances will be certainly noticed.  

He has already done Peraanmai and is a Film Institute product. When I finish writing my script, I get an idea about the tone of the film, its visuals and compositions. Of course few things are determined by the logistics and funds. Satish gave me what I had expected within the limitations. He is a nice person to work with and his work will be noted in this film. 

Anal Arasu is responsible for action sequences. I have always worked with him and he won award for his work in Thadayara Thakka. Even in Meaghamann, his stunt choreography will be recognized.

I am happy to have directed a film for Hitesh Jhabak and Nemichand Jhabak

It is a sad state of affairs. Our state is such that it is used to getting messages through cinema. Tamil cinema is always an interactive medium. As much as it is entertaining, it is also an effective tool to bring in corrective changes to society. All kinds of conflicting opinions and thoughts have been expressed in Tamil cinema without any trouble in the past. It is a sad state of affairs now that we have to make films fearing the various groups. It is very unfortunate. Censor board is there but we have to make films dreading the pressure groups. I feel it should change. In case you are not in agreement with something that has been said in a film, there are various ways to express our dissent.