Grabbing the chance with both hands, Rajesh M Selva, who has worked with Kamal Haasan as an associate, turned director with Thoongavanam, which hit the screens last month. “It’s not easy to direct someone who has directed classics. When he gave me this project, I saw it as a godsent opportunity,” he says.
The director says April 17, the day Haasan called him, was the best day of his life. “From now, whatever happens, I don’t think that excitement can be topped,” says Selva, who has worked with most of the star cast of this project as an assistant director in the past.
Basking in the success of Thoongavanam, Selva says the wait was worth it. A faithful assistant to Haasan since the days of Marmayogi seven summers ago, the filmmaker says he was ready to move on his own with offers after Viswaroopam 2.
Little did Selva bargain for the word from Haasan when he offered Thoongavanam and the rest is history. “Honestly, I had desired to have the baptism with other production companies before the plunge in Raaj Kamal. It took a length of time for the feel to sink in, as on board were big names of Prakash Raj, Sampath as well. Kamal gave us total freedom, making it clear that his involvement boiled down to actor and producer only. It was unnerving, but once I got into the groove, the director in me surfaced and things fell in place,” says Selva.
Directing the remake of French hit Sleepless Night must have been an easy task, you wonder. Not so for Selva, as each frame had to cater to the taste bud of an audience fed with a rich diet of Haasan specials over the years.
Thanks to the experience of helming scores of corporate and short films, Selva says he wasn’t short on experience when the big moment came.
Having launched his own production company, Selva will be too happy to set the platform for aspiring talents. Presently working on two scripts, he says one will be directed by Raju Kumar while the other will be helmed by him with veteran Mouli penning the story and screenplay. “Nothing has been finalised on the cast and crew with the announcement likely from Raaj Kamal banner soon.”
Back to the Thoongavanam experience, Selva says he had a relatively easier task with the screenplay penned by Kamal and established names hogging the screen. “An ensemble cast meant there was no room for error on the important facet of crafting and scheduling. Shooting the combo of Haasan-Prakash Raj was some experience added to the fact of directing Trisha on her 50th film.”
With an unlikely degree of masters of science and visual communication, Selva had a feel of visual designs and creating corporate ones and poster designs gave him an access card to films.
Once Marmayogi happened, there was no looking back for Selva. “Although I had joined Raaj Kamal, I was not working full-time for them. It was more of an on and off thing, where I balanced it with my other schedules. Kamal sir used to call me whenever there was work and I used to work as assistant director. I joined as the third AD and slowly graduated as the first. As the script supervisor in Viswaroopam, it gave me an insight of a vital dimension in the art of filmmaking.
The biggest compliment I received from Kamal was when I showed the film to him and he did not utter a word. We completed the Tamil and Telugu versions in about 60 days. Lot of changes had to be made in the script. Originally, Trisha’s and Madhu Shalini’s characters were not in, but added for the spice.”
What’s next for him? “I have a few scripts on my mind. I might assist Kamal sir or even take up a role on the production side. I have also been getting offers from outside banners, but I would love to direct Kamal again,” says Selva.