While talking about his directorial debut Kudumbasthan, in an earlier conversation with CE, Rajeshwar Kalisamy had revealed that he set out wanting to make an adventure film before finally realising, “What greater adventure than that of a family man’s?” Manikandan, who plays the eponymous kudumbasthan of the film, expands on the answer. “Back in the day, before my father set out for work, I would give a list of things I would need from him, my sister would ask him something, and my mother would have her own requirements for the house.
He would just nod and leave. And when he came back in the evening, he would distribute everything each of us asked for. A lot would have gone through between the time we asked and the time he got us what we wanted. It is an adventure on its own. That is what we tried to capture in this film,” says Manikandan.
From Bama Vijayam to director V Sekhar’s Viralukketha Veekkam and Koodi Vazhnthal Kodi Nanmai, Tamil cinema has a long history of family dramas, with comedy being a predominant factor connecting most of them. On the tendency for family dramas to rely on comedy, Manikandan points at how family dramas portray the relatable, everyday struggle of a commoner, and how comedy is any day an effective tool to convey such struggles.
“When you want the audience to relate with the struggles of the protagonist on screen, you want them to lightheartedly resonate with it because that gives them a sense of catharsis. Such communication between the characters and the audience happens more effectively in a comedy,” he says.
Saanve Megghana, who plays the female lead in the film, adds, “Treating a relatable and sensitive topic in a humorous way will make the audience feel lighter and better about their own situation.” The actor then recounts a life lesson from her father, “He said, whenever you are going through something tough, learn to find the humour in it and laugh. I didn’t get it back then but now I understand that life experience gives you such wisdom,” says Saanve.
Manikandan goes on to dive into the evolution of comedy by pointing out how in medieval times, court jesters had the privilege of critiquing the royals in a humorous way. The actor brings up a recent example, “Look at Charlie Chaplin,” and says, “If The Great Dictator had been a serious film, they would have probably killed Chaplin.”
‘I am tired of the boy-next-door image’
We are often told that humour is subjective, and through a cultural context, what is funny for a person is largely influenced by their language or culture. As someone who has been a part of Telugu comedies like Pushpaka Vimanam, making her Tamil debut with a comedy was not as challenging as Saanve initially perceived it to be. Saanve says, “Emotions are the same across languages and cultures. However, I was aware that comedy has different sensibilities.
When I started shooting for Kudumbasthan I was struggling with basic Tamil words. I used to listen to all the on-set conversations but I never understood anything. I almost gave up until the second schedule when I realised I had picked up enough words to understand the conversations, I was so happy. I guess that’s how you adapt.”
While Saanve is adapting to changes, her co-star Manikandan covets change. As someone who gained fame playing relatable boy-next-door characters in films like Kaala, Good Night, and Lover, the actor thinks it is time for change. While he acknowledges the fact that such an image helped take him to the masses, the actor says, “In cinema, it is easy for your boon to turn into a curse. I think if I push it any further, there is a great risk of the audience getting tired of me.”
He then adds, “Forget the audience, I am bored of the image myself.” This is perhaps why the actor is currently listening to a couple of action scripts and has even signed on to some projects. However, Manikandan remains cautious. “If I focus on one thing and go after that one image relentlessly then I will lose a number of beautiful things that might come my way.
I am just opening myself to a few more avenues and in the mood to explore different types of projects,” says the actor. Manikandan says his guiding compass to find new projects has always been interesting stories and he never focuses on his own role in the film. Saanve agrees, “I have come to realise that the story is the hero and it does not matter how good your character is if the story isn’t good.”
As for the kind of stories she is looking for, Saanve says she wants to do a full-fledged romance while Manikandan adds, “She is athletic and I think she would be perfect for an action film.” While he is eager to shed his image of a boy next door, Manikandan reveals that every character he has played has elements of people he has met in real life, which essentially grounds them to reality. So, in order to play a larger-than-life character, with very few real-world references, how would he look past stereotypes and acting cliches? The actor says that cliches are not necessarily bad.
“Sometimes, whether it is a boy-next-door or a larger-than-life character, cliches ground them in reality and make them easily understandable to the audience.” The writer-actor notes, “It is interesting how sometimes cliches become the most effective way to make a relatable character.”