‘I didn’t want to be branded a thriller director’

‘I didn’t want to be branded a thriller director’

....says director Arvindh Srinivasan, who along with actors Kishen Das and Raj Ayyappa discusses their film, Tharunam, its unique storytelling approach, their respective cinematic journeys, and more
Published on

Arvindh Srinivasan, who is back to the director’s chair after the 2022 Arulnithi-starrer Dejavu, reveals that his recent film Tharunam started during a conversation with an old friend. He says, “One day, a friend of 18 years, whom I worked with in IT, came to meet me for a casual conversation.

He asked me about my next commitments; I told him I had different ideas, and he immediately volunteered to help turn one of them into a film. We did not know it would be Tharunam back then.” The filmmaker adds, “Everything happens momentarily in life and the film, hence the title, Tharunam.”

Starring Kishen Das, Smruthi Venkat, and Raj Ayyappa,Tharunam is a romance drama. On why he chose to shift genres after making an intense thriller Dejavu, the director explains, “I got many similar offers, but I declined them because I do not want to be branded a thriller director.” However, Arvindh does not think Tharunam is a big shift in genre.

“Tharunam starts as a conventional drama, then enters into a romantic zone, and proceeds towards a completely new territory towards the end,” he shares. According to the filmmaker, this is a day and age where a love story with a direct screenplay structure will not reach a majority of audiences. Emphasising the unexpected elements in the film, he asserts, “Each film should be told in a unique way. I enjoy films that are structured like puzzles and do not reveal the story in a straightforward manner. I am often asked whether it is necessary to make something complicated, but that excites me and that excitement spills over to my team as well.”

He elaborates on this point with a reference to a Mani Ratnam classic. “For example, in Alaipayuthey, what if Mani sir tried to tell the episode of Arvind Swamy and Khushboo as one story, before and after the accident? We have seen the post-accident stretch, but if their individual stories were told parallelly before it and they intertwine somewhere, it would be entirely different yet still interesting.”

‘Action used to be out of my comfort zone’

Before Tharunam, Kishen was mostly seen in coming-of-age roles. However, he says, “Tharunam gave me the confidence to explore more as an actor because I have done dance and stunt sequences for this film, which is beyond my comfort zone.” He adds, “After Tharunam, I have done a film (Eerapadham Kaatru Mazhai) that has a single-shot fight sequence.

It is a hyperlink film, also starring Vetri. I play a robber in the film and every character in it is morally ambiguous.” On the other hand, Raj Ayyappa recently appeared in Uppu Puli Kaaram, which he says is “almost like a lead” and “happier and more relatable to the audience” than his other roles. He adds, “All these characters give people a different perspective about me. I am not just those serious, angry characters that I have done until now.”

A still from Tharunam
A still from Tharunam

Raj reveals how an encounter with actor Ajith led to his acting debut with the film 100. Reminiscing about the conversation, the actor says, “Before I did my first film, I was interning at Suresh Chandra sir’s office. My father (Amaravati star Bhanu Prakash) and Suresh Chandra sir have known each other for a long time. 

My father met him when I was in college and told him that I was in cinema and would like to work with him. Suresh sir called Ajith sir that day, and he recommended that I take up acting, provided I have the ‘right attitude for it.’” Raj adds,

“After my debut, I wanted to work on Valimai as an assistant director, but Ajith sir had me cast in the film.”Tharunam initially had a limited release because of certification delays, but following a positive audience response, on Wednesday, the makers announced that the film will have a wider release soon.

X
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com