Producer C V Kumar’s success rate has always made heads turn in the film industry. The man has managed to deliver hits in an industry plagued by flops. For long, many have wondered how Kumar manages to make films that succeed at the box office, despite being made with modest budgets.
Recently, Kumar disclosed one of the reasons for his success at a press conference called by the team of 144.
“There are many reasons. One among them is my editor Leo John Paul. Usually, my directors are first-timers. In their eagerness to make the movie as impressive as possible, they would end up shooting much more than what they want. In fact, for a two-and-a-half hour film, there have been occasions when we have shot a five-and-a-half hour film. It is here that Leo John Paul does a good job. He trims the film down to just two-and-a-half hours, keeping only relevant portions. In fact, for 144, he went to the shooting location to watch the scenes being filmed. He brought down the running time of the film from over four-and-a-half hours to just two-and-a-half hours.”
Of the 13 films that Kumar has produced, 10 have been edited by Leo John Paul. “In my company’s films, shooting gets done swiftly. It is the editing which takes a long time,” Kumar shares with a smile.