Ravichandran's Apoorva has been cut by 20 minutes and the new version is now running in theatres.
The actor-director told City Express he had been prepared for mixed reactions. So much so that he was ready with the two versions of the film.
"I had initially planned to release the first version for multiplex audiences and the second for B and C centres," he said.
He said he had been keen not to cater to routine expectations. "I don't expect a hit overnight. But I stand by my words that Apoorva is an experimental film. I might not have done a good film, but it isn't a bad film either. I regret making Ekangi, but not Apoorva," he asserts.
Having been in the industry for 33 years, Ravichandran is well aware of the responsibilities on screen.
"Cinema has given me life. I can make films like Malla, but I wanted to move away from such films," he said.
He urges audiences not to be influenced by what others are saying. "I have not directed the film but designed it. I am confident my painstaking effort on every frame will be recognised," he said.