For director R Kannan, (director of Jayam Kondaan and Kandaen Kadhalai), scripting for Vandan Vendran took three years. Hence, it is definitely not on the lines of the Hindi film I Hate Luv Storys, which released in 2010.
The director’s challenge lies in making a remake. Says he, “Remakes are far more challenging than working on an original script. You always face comparisons. In Jab We Met, the character of Santhanam was not there, but it was an addition to the Tamil version. When the film was released in Tamil, Imtiaz Ali, director and writer of Jab We Met, called up and congratulated me on the screenplay of Kandaen Kadhalai.”
Talking about Vandan Vendran, he says, “The title takes inspiration from the famous quote, ‘He came, he saw, he conquered’. This film is about a man from Chennai who goes to Mumbai, struggles and makes a name for himself,” he says.
The director scores again when it comes to casting. Stars like Jiiva, Taapsee Pannu, Nandaa and Santhanam, have helped the director in taking the film forward. “I felt Taapsee fits the role of Anjana, the daughter of a rich industrialist in Mumbai perfectly.”
Apparently, Jiiva’s Ko and Taapsee’s Aadkulam helped the director take the budget forward. He was able to shoot a song in the exotic locales of Badaami near Karnataka.
In this film, the screenplay is its USP. “Santhanam, unlike other comedians in the industry, does not work in groups. He is committed, punctual and regular. And here, he has a significant role to play. If you observe, his tracks go with the main plot of the film.”
After two films with Vidyasagar, Kannan has gone for a change. Music director Thaman has scored the music. “Vidyasagar’s music is subtle and melodious. Since this film has Mumbai as the backdrop, I needed some fast-paced numbers, loud and boisterous in tune with the lifestyle of Mumbai,” he says.
Having assisted Mani Ratnam, the director has imbibed the director’s style of execution in his films. “He knows his script well before he starts rolling. He plans his scenes perfectly. But I have my own style with regard to script.”