CHENNAI: What does a decade-long hiatus mean for a filmmaker? For some, it might mean the end of a film career, but it was quite the opposite for director Kamalakannan. He reveals that ten years away from cinema gave him the confidence to finally make a film with children. “Kurangu Pedal was supposed to be my directorial debut,” says the director, who ended up making his debut with 2012’s 'Madhubaanakadai' instead and followed it up with 2022’s 'Vattam'.
“Back then, I chose some children and carried out a basic shoot with them for three days. The shoot was enough for me to realise that my career would come to an end even before it began because it was quite a challenging task to work with children. It took me ten years to come back and make Kurangu Pedal,” Kamalakannan.
The film is based on a short story titled 'Cycle', written by Rasi Azhagappan, which Kamalakannan read fifteen years ago. “'Kurangu Pedal' is about a young boy’s dream to ride a bicycle and his father’s opposition to it,” says the director, who further adds that the film is set in a 1980s village called Katheri. “I wish to take my audience down the nostalgia lane through this film,” he shares.
Speaking about nostalgia and memories, Kamalakannan says that the nostalgia begins right from the film’s title. “Back in the day, the only available bicycles were the tall adult cycles with a bar in between. Young kids were hardly half the cycle’s height, so they couldn’t get on it and throw their legs on either side, let alone pedal it. So we, as kids, used to put our legs in between the bar and pedal in a way that looked like a monkey pedalling haphazardly. Hence, the whole act was termed ‘Kurangu Pedal’ or ‘Ara Pedal’,” he explains as he confidently asserts that the film’s idea is universally relatable.
“If you ask the older generation what ‘Kurangu Pedal’ means, they will have a cycle-related story of their own to tell you.” Most filmmakers who focus on village life often end up romanticising it or preaching about what city dwellers are missing out on. Kamalakannan says that 'Kurangu Pedal' will surely not romanticise village life. “I believe in the saying, “Pazhaiyana kazhithalum, pudhuvena pugudhalum” (the passing of the old and the dawn of the new). My film tries to portray the development that came with the invention of the cycle. It does not aim at asking the audience to go back to those simpler times,” the director explains.
Kamalakannan says that the father, played by Kaali Venkat, is the most important character in the film. “The father has an arc and is the anchor of the film, although Kaali’s screen time is considerably lesser.” On Kaali’s casting choice for the role, the director adds, “I have known him for a long time, even before I made my first film and when he was just doing small roles. Back then, I used to observe him and always believed that he had a great future in acting. Kaali is from Madurai but his accent for this film was so apt that some locals even asked him which region of Namakkal he was from.”
The director goes on to recount the meticulous thought process that went into casting the child actors. “While casting, we were looking at children with a lot of energy and stamina because the film needed them to work in peak heat and ride cycles in tough terrain. So we were looking at young dance troupes or children pursuing martial arts. We finalised a group of Silambam-learning children and shortlisted ten kids from the group who were provided workshops before the shoot began,” the director reveals.
On the film being produced by a star like Sivakarthikeyan, Kamalakannan says, “I wish for 'Kurangu Pedal' to be such a trendsetter that more stars come forward to produce such small-budget films.”
With 'Kurangu Pedal' up for release, Kamalakannan already has another script. “Next up, I want to do an out-and-out action film.”
However, he is quick to add with a smile, “I cannot promise anything. After all, it took me ten years to materialise 'Kurangu Pedal'.”