In 2012, Karthik Subbaraj made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed horror-thriller, Pizza. Two years later, in 2014, he followed it up with Jigarthanda, which only went on to further cement him as the find of the decade. But Karthik wanted to make his debut with Jigarthanda, which had to be pushed to the backburner because producers weren’t ready to back a big-budget production. After proving his credentials with Pizza, Karthik went on to make his dream debut as his sophomore film. Similarly, his first choice for the iconic character of Assault Sethu, which won Bobby Simha a National Award for Best Supporting Actor was actor-choreographer-filmmaker Raghava Lawrence. Almost a decade later, Karthik is back with the sequel to what should have been his debut. And this time, he has roped in Lawrence for Jigarthanda Double X.
“I initially wanted to cast Raghava Lawrence as Assault Sethu. Due to scheduling conflicts, he could not take up the film. After the release of Jigarthanda, Raghava showed his interest in doing a film with me. Back then, I narrated the idea of Double X to him, and he liked it too. However, I didn’t think it was the right time to make the film as it was immediately after the original’s release. Also, it was only a concept back then. I had to develop a full script that would go on to add to the legacy of Jigarthanda,” he recalls. Interestingly, Karthik refrains from calling it Jigarthanda 2, and prefers to give it his unique signature. “The film does not continue telling the story of Karthik Subramani and Assault Sethu. It just retains the soul of the story and is a spiritual sequel. So I went with Double X to build the franchise.”
The prospect of a franchise and more such stories coming from the stables of Karthik Subbaraj is a fascinating update for a filmmaker, who has grown in stature and craft. So, what’s in store in this world of Jigarthanda? “The sequel carries the soul of the original, which is about the intersecting paths of crime and art,” says Karthik, adding that Madurai is one other connecting factor. “Double X is set in 1975, and just like how the title is a metaphor for a cold-hearted person like Sethu, the sequel too is about a cold-hearted person.”
Karthik, who is recognised as the filmmaker responsible for actor-filmmaker SJ Suryah’s renaissance as a performer, has roped him in the Jigarthanda sequel too. In fact, just like their Iraivi, Suryah once again plays a film director in Jigarthanda Double X. “Suryah was initially hesitant about doing yet another director character. He only took it up because I told him that I wanted a good performer for the role,” shares Karthik, revealing an all-important character design about Suryah’s role. “He plays legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s assistant director. That is why, right from his hairstyle to his sartorial choices, Suryah’s getup resembles that of Ray.”
While it is understandable why Karthik went to Suryah for this role, the filmmaker gives a rather interesting reason as to why he felt Lawrence would be perfect for the role of a terrifying gangster. “I love his weird and crazy villain role in Saran’s Paarthen Rasithen. It made me want to visualise him as a villain in my film,” says Karthik.
The past decade has seen Karthik emboss his name in the list of promising filmmakers of Tamil cinema, and every film of his continues to create a lot of conversation. Close on the heels of his Mahaan, Karthik is once again dabbling in the period setup in Jigarthanda Double X. “I needed my story to be set in 1975 because it was a transition period in Tamil cinema. It was a period when MGR sir and Sivaji sir were winding up, while Kamal sir and Rajini sir were just beginning to boom,” he explains.
Over the years, we have observed Karthik’s affinity to films of that era. Unlike watching films from 70s and 80s, making a film set in that era wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. To write Suryah’s character, Karthik also needed to understand the behind-the-scenes machinations, and the kind of equipment used back then. “Research came in handy for us to understand the way films were made back in the 60s and 70s. I also needed to understand what kind of content the audiences were consuming back then to write this character,” says Karthik.
From what we’ve seen so far, apart from the casting, one thing that Karthik definitely gets is the costumes of that era. While we do see the bell bottoms and suspenders making their presence felt, the teaser shows Raghava’s gangster sporting a septum nosering and a bangle-like neckpiece. “1975 was a period where a lot of tribal people living in forests and foothills were settling in towns like Madurai. Lawrence’s character comes from such a tribal background; hence these fashion choices.”
For a director who started off with two critically and commercially acclaimed films, Karthik has had a tough run at the box office. As in, he has not had a theatrical release since Petta in 2019. In fact, Jigarthanda Double X marks his comeback to the theatres after Jagame Thandhiram and Mahaan went the OTT route. We can’t help but ask if the pressure has got to him, yet. “Since my childhood, Diwali means three things: crackers, celebration, cinema. After visiting the temple, it was routine for us to visit the theatres. So, I am only excited for my theatrical comeback to hit theatres on Diwali, and I hope for it to be a celebration,” he signs off with confidence.