My one and half years worth
hard work has culminated
into a good movie
|
How
is the response for Thoonganagaram?
The
response is very good from all the centers,
the distributors are happy and the producers
are even happier with the response garnered.
The first news about the success came from
Malaysia and UK where the film was released
two days before it released in India. Audience
from there praised me for showing Madurai
in a different light and kept away from intense
violence despite the movie being a thriller.
They told me that the film was a joy ride
and that after the movie was over, they were
very happy with what they saw. After that,
I went on a tour to Madurai, Tirunelveli,
Trichy
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and Coimbatore
and watched the film with the audience there and was
very happy to see them enjoying the comedy and the
songs and thrillers and there was a lot of applause.
To see my one and half years worth hard work to have
culminated into such a good movie, appreciated by
all types of audience, I was overjoyed. My due thanks
and gratitude to all the media people who have given
good reviews for my film and that has surely increased
the audience for my movie. Overall, there has been
great response and I cannot express my happiness.
You have played one of the lead roles and directed
the movie too. Why did you make this decision?
I have done everything, why not this? (Laughs) It
is my desire to be an actor like many others. But
for this film, the decision to act came only after
my producer Durai sir suggested it. When we were discussing
the characters, he told me that he liked the way I
involved myself with the character of Rajamani and
asked me not to go through the ordeal of auditions
and all and play the character myself. In my heart
I was feeling very happy but I did not show it out;
instead I asked him if he was sure about what he is
saying and he said definitely and insisted that I
act in that role. It was too tempting for me to refuse
and also, my camera men, co-directors and the rest
of the crew was very supportive of me donning two
hats.
Was it difficult
to do both?
It was definitely not. There is one thing that I believe
in, if you really wish to do something and that work
is something that you are passionate about then you
will never feel the difficulty of it. My work as a
director was what I took due to intense passion and
acting was another desire and it was by God’s
grace that I could do both in my very first film.
So, I did not find any difficulty in doing both and
enjoyed it very bit.
Tell about your
memorable shooting experiences
Talking about memorable, I must mention about the
very beginning itself. When I was discussing the movie
casually with the producer and told him that the movie
is a very jovial film and will be like a “thiruvizha”,
I just spontaneously told him an idea, “Sir,
why don’t we do the pooja and launch the shoot
itself with a thiruvizha?” He was not sure about
what I meant and I told him that we could combine
the movie’s Pooja with Azhagiri sir’s
birthday on 30th January and have a gala celebration
for both. The idea worked and about 30,000 people
thronged for the movie’s pooja; I felt like
the entire Madurai population was there to wish me
luck and I was very happy to be blessed and wished
by big wigs and I don’t think any other movie
had such a grand pooja and the moment I said start,
camera that was something I would cherish for times
to come.
Coming to the shooting experience, I am always an
anxious person and I get tensed very easily. But my
cast and crew especially Vimal, Nishanth and Anjali
are very jovial and always naughty. Whenever I am
tensed, the very moment they start cracking jokes
and make me feel better and my tension just reduces
immediately. My entire team was a support system to
me and without them this film and the shooting would
not have been so grand and successful.
Another memorable thing that I would like to share
is when I approached Kamala theatre owner Chidambaram
sir for his role. I told him the story and I told
him his character would be that of a father whose
son will be beaten up and so he will catch the guilty
ones for revenge but until the very end I did not
tell him that he was the villain. During the last
scene when the hero has to kill the villain, it was
during that shot he realized he was the villain. He
turned away from the camera towards me and asked jovially,
“I am the villain eh? The hero is killing me,
so I am the villain right?” There was such mock
innocence in his voice that we were all filled with
laughter. Like this, throughout the shoot he lived
in the skin of his character without even knowing
that he is the villain and thus his character was
underplayed and won praise. He was a jovial person
and his talks are enjoyable and happy.
Working
with producer Dhayanidhi Azhagiri
Dhayanidhi
Azhagiri sir is the friendliest guy in the
whole world. He does not have the airs of
a producer; he will just talk like one of
our friends. He came to the shooting spots
just twice- once during the climax shoot which
we were taking in the fields; it was raining
and I had tied the camera to my hip and we
were testing the shoots. There were thorns
on my legs but we had no time to care for
all that and went with the shoot. Producer
sir was feeling very bad to see us doing this
with great difficulty and told us that he
would
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Dhayanidhi Azhagiri sir is the
friendliest guy in the whole world
|
leave now, for
he cannot see us struggling so much to get things
perfect. The second time that he came- the cameraman
was hanging on a parapet with camera on his hip to
capture a lift shot. The camera was about 30 kgs and
the cameraman was groaning with pain while taking
the shot. Dhayanidhi sir was like, “Every time
I come I see my team doing such difficult things.
It is hard for me to see you people in pain”.
He was such a kind hearted human being and a great
producer. When he asked me in the beginning how long
will it take for me to shoot the film, I told him
it will take 70 days because there were several new
artists and local people also but then my shoot took
90 days. He made no fuss and was very supportive.
He told me that I can take another ten days if I want
but make sure that the movie came out well and was
very supportive. If the distributors and audience
are heaping laurels for this film, the credit will
first go to the producer and then only to the rest
of our team, for without his support this feat would
have been impossible.
Most difficult part to shoot
The most difficult part to shoot was to shoot with
Bharani. (Laughs) I am just joking, but why I said
that was because he is very playful and is always
up to pranks. He is very versatile but sometimes disrupts
the shoot saying his expression changed from what
it was supposed to be. When I remind him that the
camera is behind him and at that point his expression
does not matter, he will start cracking jokes. Also,
it was difficult to get the two grandmas of the comedy
track to act and also several local people. They have
never seen the camera and they do not understand that
they are not supposed to talk anything apart from
the dialogue until I say cut but they continued to
ask me if it was ok as soon as they finished the dialogues.
So there were several retakes and that was difficult.
With seeing audience enjoy the local people’s
acting and the comedy tracks, I forgot all my difficulties
and left with only good things.
Chidambaram sir might be old
but he is young at heart
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About
your co-stars (the leads)
All
my main actors are like God’s gift to
me. Vimal was one very close friend whom I
gained during the period of the shooting.
He is a director’s artist and never
considered himself hero. If he does not do
well in a shot and I still ok the shot, he
will understand by himself that I am not exactly
satisfied and he will insist on a retake.
He was such a person who understood perfectly
what exactly I need from him. Nishanth had
to play the character of speech impaired and
so it was all
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the more difficult for him as people who have dialogues
express easily with voice modulation and all. But
Nishanth showed every expression in those small eyes
of his and especially the “laddu” making
scene and the scene where he gets out of the tea stall
stealthily, he expressed malice and fear just with
his eyes and audience in the theatre were clapping
hard for those scenes. Anjali, obviously, is a great
performer and she is also a director’s artist
but she has already acted a few films and won acclaim
too. But when me being a debutant director told her
that she needs to do a makeup test and an audition
to get selected she did not show any ego but agreed
to do it right away. I was very happy to have chosen
her for the role and every time I saw her act I knew
she was the one I wanted for this role. Chidambaram
sir might be old but he is very young at heart. He
jelled with our young gang so easily and was as energetic
as all of us and even came to shoot at midnights.
Every other actor in my film is worth mentioning and
they have all made my dream of making an excellent
film come true.
About
Music Director Sundar.C.Babu
Sundar
sir is someone who always keeps smiling. There
is a proverb- keep smiling always and all
your sorrows will fly away; Sundar sir would
be the best example for that statement. I
was pretty tensed because I had a big responsibility
of being a first time director and actor whose
movie is being produced by a big banner and
I wanted to fulfill all the expectations of
people. But Sundar sir was very casual and
ever smiling and gave me best he could. After
the movie released he called me and told that
in recent times, this is the only album in
which all songs have become a hit. The Kalyanam
song was playing in every marriage; friendship
songs were in the youngsters’ lips and
duet song was one of the best melodies. His
background music was equally good and it was
his BGM that helps in bringing the mood of
the situation in the movie. When you watch
the film you will feel it. So a major chunk
of my success I owe to Sundar sir and I won’t
be exaggerating if I say he was like a backbone
of the film. |
Sundar Sir was the backbone of
the film
|
About the romantic song shot in foreign locale
The foreign locale is Malaysia. When I told my producer
that I am going to shoot the song in Malaysia, he
asked why and that it has been shown many times. But
I explained to him that there are several unexplored
places in Malaysia and I want to show those and not
the usual twin towers and the city side. The mountains
and those streams where the song was shot garnered
a lot of praise and several cameramen and producers
enquired me about the location. I made a tour to the
location hunt and it was totally worth it. The location,
the camera work and Sundar sir’s music were
all vital for the excellent outcome of the song.
Next film will be with Cloud
Nine Movies
|
Your
next film
The
success of my first film is just sinking in
and I am enjoying every bit of that. Just
like how chewing gum loses its taste after
chewing for long, my success will also settle
down and that will help me think better about
my next film. But there have already been
ideas in my mind and an official announcement
will come by next month. Just like how AVM
is a pet producer for SP Muthuraman, I would
consider Cloud Nine Movies as my pet producer
and I have already been approached by them
to do my next film also under their banner
and I am honored to do that. I am going to
give my best yet again.
|
Plans
of acting as solo hero
Who
wouldn’t love to act in a solo hero
subject? I am no different. I would love to
act with Sushmitha Sen but she has grown old
now. The happening heroines now are Trisha,
Tapasee and it would be great if I get to
act opposite them. A few directors have approached
me with scripts. Cheran’s assistant
director came to be with an emotional story
and told me that I would suit the role. I
am thinking about it and if good stories and
great opportunities come by I will surely
not think twice about taking it up. I definitely
have plans of acting. |
I definitely have plans to act
|
KSR sir is the best commercial
cinema director
|
About
directors for whom who were the assistant
IThere
is saying that if you have a great teacher
you would be very successful. And I am very
happy that has happened to me. Both my Gurus
Vallarasu Maharajan and K.S.R sir are well
known, Vallarasu Maharajan is known for as
the best screenplay writer. K.S.Ravikumar
sir is the best commercial cinema director.
No director has been able to direct stalwarts
like Kamal Hassan and Rajini from those days
till today except for KSR. He is one director
who will make sure that there is not even
one rupee loss for the producer. Coming from
such a school, I have been groomed well enough
to confidently promise to give the audience
good movies and also set my producers cash
registers jingling.
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My first two
interviews before the film’s release was taken
by Behindwoods and now my first interview after the
movie’s release is also being taken by Behindwoods.
I am very happy to have had your support throughout
the making of the film and its release. It is because
of good publicity through media people like you, that
debutants like me taste success. I thank Behindwoods
team for their support and I promise to give more
films and great entertainers to the audience for years
to come. Thank You.