Though Vijay Milton has worked as a cinematographer in many films, direction has always been his first love. Speaking about his film Kadugu, which releases this week, he says, “It’s about a situation that causes friends to take opposite sides. Nobody is good, nobody is bad; we are all victims of circumstances.” The story, a thriller drama, revolves around three main characters — Bharath, Rajakumaran (Devayani’s husband) and Bharath Sreeni.
“No other hero would have accepted this role. Bharath plays the role of a township boxer. It’s not a negative character, but has shades of grey,” he adds, and praises Bharath’s dedication and involvement. “He hired a professional trainer to beef-up his look, which suits the character well,” he shares. Having worked with many directors, Vijay says he developed a style of his own.
“That helped me to my advantage. My debut directorial venture Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu (2006) didn’t do decent business, but I had the confidence and did Goli Soda (2014) next,” he smiles. Milton wrote Kadugu’s script a couple of years ago, and was looking for the right actors. “Films should reflect real people. Bharath seemed an easy choice, but initially, I was apprehensive if he’d accept the film. Subiksha and Radhika Prasidhha (the female leads) have powerful roles to play. I enjoyed developing Radhika’s character,” he shares.
The film’s distribution rights have been bought by Suriya through his home banner 2D Entertainment. “I asked Suriya to watch the film and he loved it. He assured me that he’d distribute it in a big way. Kadugu is an honest attempt of filmmaking,” he says.