For both actor Sundeep Kishan and director Ranjith Jeyakodi, Michael is a leap of faith. For Sundeep, who has, so far, remained confined to ‘smaller’ comedies and dramas, the blood-soaked Michael is a liberation from the labels the film industry has applied to him, both creatively and financially. For Ranjit Jeyakodi, who earlier helmed Puriyatha Puthir and Ispade Rajavum Idhaya Raniyum, Michael is his first big-ticket project. Sundeep is aware that the audience, at this point, is exhausted with the ‘Pan-India’ label, despite Michael being set to release in 5 languages. “I think pan-India is a media-curated term. It is created for PR strategies. I would say the goal is to take the film to more languages because the story and narrative of Michael are universal. If we release it as a European film, it will still look original. It is an original film, thanks to Ranjit Jeyakodi, and you will understand after watching it.”
Sundeep adds that Michael’s story encouraged the team to aim higher and go for a nationwide release in multiple languages. “Everything fell into place for Michael, which is a rarity in itself. Be it the genre, the filmmaker, the cast, and of course, the producers, everything worked in favour of the film,” he says, admitting that he is anxious about the release and the business dynamics associated with it. “This is a massive release and although the producers don’t seem to be nervous, I am. And speaking about the budget, they didn’t spend it because of the pan-India label but for the content. It was all well-planned and the producers are quite happy with the end result.”
Producer Bharath Chowdary corroborates Sundeep’s words. “Yes, the budget went up; it almost doubled. However, it was all for the betterment of the film and I am proud to say that business too doubled and we are releasing the film with table profit as all the rights were sold a month before the film’s release.”
The cinematography of Michael has generated quite a buzz among cinephiles with its distinct, sunny, and sepia-toned frames setting the film a class apart from the action dramas we have seen in the recent past. And it does come as a surprise to learn that Michael is cinematographer Kiran Koushik’s feature film debut. Speaking about finding the film’s visual pitch and creating a unique and alluring texture, Ranjit says, “The story demanded that tone and such visuals. I have known Kiran for a long time; in fact, he was a trainee on my first film, Puriyatha Puthir and he then moved to Mumbai and worked with Ravi Varman sir. But we remained in touch, and when I narrated Michael to him and gave him an idea about what I was expecting, he also gave me some ideas, and it became a collaborative process.”
‘Every character in Michael is grey’
Ranjit explains that every single element of the visuals was a result of various minds working together in sync, including the art director, who brought his expertise to the table. “For instance, since this film takes place in the ‘90s, we had to search for locations with huge windows and high ceilings. It’s teamwork that got us the optimum visuals,” Ranjit says, smiling.
Teasing Michael’s tonality story-wise, Sundeep earlier said that it is a love story told as an out-and-out action film. Love, as a theme, has been a constant in Ranjit’s films too. His first, Puriyatha Puthir (2017), was a love story in the body of a thriller, while his second, Ispade Raajavum Idhaya Raniyum (2019) was an exploration of the intricacies of romantic relationships. And now, Michael. In fact, in the trailer, the titular character questions, “If not for a girl, why should one live?” Speaking about the overarching theme, Ranjit says something along the lines of his protagonist.
“Without love, there is nothing, right?” he asks with a beaming smile. “Everything is related to love. This movie might be all about violence and bloodshed. However, it is important to understand that violence is always propelled by something; you cannot inflict violence on someone without any reason. The root cause for violence could also be love for something—a person, a property, or a possession.” Does love come first or does the violence come first while writing? “Emotions come first. Love is a part of the emotion. I write with emotions and characters. The character development part starts after that.” Sundeep adds, “It is a dark love story. There is no white character in the film. Every character here is grey. All the scenes in the film are quite quirky.”
Sharing what inspired her to choose the film, actor Divyansha Kaushik says, “I really liked Ranjit sir’s vision for the film and the way he had written my character. In my short career span, Theera is the most performance-oriented role I have played and I am quite proud of it. The way he wrote the film... it is just like life, there is no definitive good, no plain bad. You will walk out of the theatre loving every character you have seen, even if it’s the hero or the villain,” she signs off.