When did you realise cinema was your calling?
I wouldn’t lie that I was passionate about cinema right from my childhood. I slowly began loving cinema through Mani Ratnam sir’s films. I was working as an Electronics and Communications engineer, but the urge to get into filmmaking kept haunting me. One fine day, I decided to call it quits and step into cinema. I didn’t have the contacts to guide me or knowledge about the craft when I started. After much struggle, I finally joined Nandhini ma’am. Her debut Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru, also became my first film.
What have you learned from your directors?
I like the boldness of Nandhini ma’am. Also, I’ve never seen her procrastinate. She never wraps up until she’s satisfied with the result on the monitor.
People usually think Venkat Prabhu parties all the time. But he is a dedicated filmmaker, who knows how to differentiate between work and play. He ensures work gets done in the fastest manner possible. People hardly realise the kind of work he has extracted from them until they see the final output.
Have you ever been starstruck?
I truly admire the professionalism and perfection of Nayanthara ma’am. As she has already achieved superstardom, nobody would question her even if she comes a bit late. If the shot is scheduled at 2 pm, she will arrive on sets, perfectly prepared at 1:55 pm itself. Her dedication and passion for acting has always surprised me.
What’s one thing that you think you can bring to Tamil cinema?
I want to make films like Kaakka Muttai, which talk in depth about the philosophies of life but are laced with humour and human emotions. Few of those films have gotten the recognition they deserve and they have reached only a select audience.
What’s one area of filmmaking that you had a tough time with, but are better at now?
I think it’s the post-production part. During this stage, the film transforms completely and the magic of cinema manifests. When I started as an AD, I thought that writing a script and getting a producer to bankroll it get the major part of the job done. But only during
Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru, did I realise that it’s post-production that is the most demanding and challenging part of filmmaking.
Who is the ideal cast and crew for your dream project?
It’s my dream to work with Ajith sir and PC Sreeram sir. I loved interacting with PC sir for Remo. I have short-listed three scripts and I’m positive that I’ll be getting my break soon.