Selvah Kumar Thirumaaran, known as the writer of the Raghava Lawrence-starrer Rudhran, is making his directorial debut with a comedy film titled Family Padam. The upcoming film stars Uday Karthik, Vivek Prasanna, and debutant Parthiban Kumar as brothers trying to make a film with the support of their family. Cinema about filmmaking often explores the serious struggles of filmmakers.
Speaking about how he balanced the serious side and the comedy aspect in Family Padam, Selvah says, “The brothers are like longtime friends, which creates a particular dynamic between them that ensures humour organically arises out of serious situations.”
However, the filmmaker says this does not make Family Padam a situational comedy. He elaborates, “Many filmmakers find it difficult to find a producer. The story of the film is about a family supporting the passion of their children. The family could be supporting any business venture. The emotions are the same, but the passion is different.”
Responding to a question about why families do not usually support filmmaking ambitions, Selvah quips, “They are not close to that profession and do not have any knowledge about it. But nowadays, we are all doing Instagram reels with the help of family members. On Instagram, everyone is doing ‘family padam’. So I thought about doing it in an actual film.” The trailer of the film references to the pan-Indian phenomenon.
Sharing his views on the trend, Selvah says, “If there are big celebrities in a film, it is naturally called pan-Indian. For me, a pan-Indian film is one with more regional content. The more regional a film is, the more international it becomes.” While Selvah is known for his work on Rudhran, he also has experience working as an assistant director on the Vijay Sethupathi-starrer Rekka.
Speaking about how that helped him in his first film, the director states, “I learnt how to handle a big cast and the set from that film. That is what helped me complete Family Padam in 28 days. I told my producer (K Balaji) that I would complete it in 30 days because I had a complete screenplay with dialogues and a clear idea of how to go about it. I just wanted to be a producer’s director.”
When asked about whether that explains why Family Padam is getting a worldwide release on December 6, a grateful Selvah adds, “I am thankful for his backing for the film. But I am also nervous and excited to know the audience’s feedback. We made a genuine attempt. It’s the product of everyone’s hard work and passion.”
Selvah also states that he wants to do a variety of films like his favourite directors Mani Ratnam and Selvaraghavan. “They are my favourite directors because they explore different genres. Mani sir’s filmography includes Kannathil Muthamittal, Nayakan, Alai Payuthey. Selvaraghavan sir did Kaadhal Kondein, Pudhupettai, and Mayakkam Enna. They are my inspiration,” Selvah signs off.