A rivazhagan, former associate of Shankar, who directed fi lms like Eeram (2009), Vallinam (2014), and Aarathu Sinam (2016), is confi dent that the Arun Vijay-starrer Kuttram 23, will work at the box-offi ce. An ardent fan of Hitchcock, the fi lmmaker says he learnt his craft from watching Hollywood movies. “I like to work on thrillers. I am completely satisfi ed with the output. I hope this will turn out to be a wholesome entertainer,” he smiles. Known for his concepts, Arivazhagan traverses the middle path between realism and commercial movies. “I don’t confi ne myself. Every fi lm is a different experience and with each experience, I am reinventing myself,” he says.
Quiz Arivazhagan why thrillers interest him more, he says they are in a more mainstream genre, and relatable to commercial cinema. According to him, content alone is king. “My aim is to narrate a convincing story. Take Kuttram 23 for instance! I took a lot of time researching the subject. I referred to a lot of incidents that appeared in newspapers, especially about the irregularities in the medical fi eld. I thought more about the creative side of making a fi lm rather than business elements,” he says. He doesn’t make fi lms to prove a point but solely out of interest.
“I take something up only when I get the correct story and screenplay. There had been many medical thrillers in the past, but Kuttram 23 will stand out for the twists, turns and knots. We have made sure that the quality of the fi lm is technically sound too,” he adds. The medical investigative thriller is a based on a true story, and the plot is based on Rajesh Kumar’s crime novel. “I have tweaked the script to suit cinema sensibilities. The story is loosely based on child abduction and related activities. I have been following his novels since my school and college days. If you read his novels, there will be no dearth of ideas,” he says. The director is pleased with Arun Vijay’s performance as a cop in the fi lm.
“For the fi rst time, he plays a police offi cer. Not a loud cop that you see in other movies. He worked really hard to get his body language right. He paid attention to even the simple things like a salute. Arun is passionate about what he does. When you have people like him around, you are motivated to work better. He has done a brilliant job over all,” he gushes. Why did he name the fi lm Kuttram 23? “Article 23 of the Indian Constitution deals extensively with the juvenile justice. Also, it’s Arun Vijay’s 23rd fi lm,” he smiles.
While Mahima Nambiar of Saattai (2012) fame plays the role of a nursery school teacher, Vishal Chandrasekhar has handled the songs and background score. Next, the fi lmmaker wants to work on a detective series. “I haven’t worked with big heroes so far. It would be nice if I get a chance to work with Vijay or Ajith. I dream about it almost every day. But it should be something sophisticated and unconventional...something that the audience never expect out of them,” he grins.