Ameer is known for the detailed work he puts into each of his films. The common thread linking all of his three previous films — 'Mounam Pesiyadhaey', 'Raam' and 'Paruthiveeran' — is realism. However, the subject matter in the films were different. But the director himself admits that 'Aadhi Bhagavan', his fourth directorial venture, is a mass entertainer.
“When I was young, there was a practice of putting up detailed notices prior to a film’s release. I only went for a movie when the notice said that the film had dance and fight sequences in it. I grew up watching such kind of cinema, but when I became a director I began thinking differently. And I have been able to do what I wanted to only in my fourth film,” says Ameer. He argues why interesting action films can’t be made in Tamil just the way it is done Hollywood.
But Ameer makes it clear that 'Aadhi Bhagavan' is not like 'Godfather' or 'City of God'. “It’s about a youngster who goes to Bangkok for work, but gets trapped in a mafia network. I have attempted to narrate this man’s journey in an interesting way,” he says. While he agrees that a few other recent films of heroes travelling abroad with a ‘purpose’ have failed to garner audiences’ interest, he adds that the makers of such films are to be blamed.
“They create unnecessary buzz around the release date and make the audience believe there is something to look forward to. I’m not saying I have done something unimaginable in 'Aadhi Bhagavan'. It’s an action film done in my own way. We have worked hard and I’m satisfied with the outcome. People’s verdict might be anything,” he says.
Ameer says, he earlier had Royapuram as the backdrop of 'Aadhi Bhagavan'. “You won’t believe that the hero in my 'Paruthiveeran' was a school teacher. After I scripted the story and read it again, I found it to be a normal story. The story is the same, but I changed a few characters and that’s how 'Paruthiveeran' happened. Same way, I initially set Royapuram as 'Aadhi Bhagavan’s background. Later I realised it was an usual story and changed the backdrop to Bangkok,” he says.
Ameer accepts that it took time for Jayam Ravi, the hero of the film, to adapt to his style of working. “Ravi might not have felt comfortable with me. But soon, I was comfortable working with Ravi because he never complained even if he got hurt while shooting,” he says. About Neetu Chandra, “This film will show her in a different light,” he said.
Ameer said he put off the idea of making his other project titled 'Kannabiran' after his acting debut in Yogi, for it falls on the similar genre. “'Kannabiran' is about the father-daughter relationship and I thought it would be repetitive as Yogi was also about the relationship between a child and a local rowdy,” he says. Ameer is ready to work with any actor and says his rules of filmmaking apply only in front of the camera. “Vijay will be suitable for 'Kannabiran' and I will make the film whenever he is ready,” he says.
Ameer is not bothered that he was dropped from Bharathiraja's film, and says he will join him again if he gets a call from his mentor. About taking charge of Directors’ Union secretary, he said, “Others in the union pressed that I should take charge again until the next election and so I couldn’t say no,” he concludes.
Director Ameer says 'Aadhi Bhavan' will be a Pongal release (2013). “Currently dubbing, special effects and rerecording works are underway for the film and if my calculation is correct, the final version of the film will be ready by January 2013,” he says.
While Rajinikanth’s 'Kochadaiyaan' has also been slated for Pongal release, Ameer says he is not bothered. “I am not bothered about other movies releasing along with 'Aadhi Bhagavan'. For me, if my film is ready, it will hit screens when it’s meant to,” he says.