Interview by Suhas KM   Translated by: Shilpa Ann Stanley   Words by: Charishma Thankappan

Delivering much talked about characters and films like Cocktail, Left Right Left, and Ee Adutha Kalathu; editor turned director Arun Kumar Aravind speaks about his journey and his latest film Kaattu.

What interested you to work for Kaattu when you heard the script?

It’s been 17 years that Kaatu script has been written. I am very close to Anandhapadmanabhan and we had discussed a few scripts. And I think around a year and a half back, Murali Gopy had mentioned that Pappan has a script and he asked me to listen to that. If you ask me what attracted me to this script is, the milieu. The story is set in the ‘70s and ‘80s, where there was no electricity; technology hadn’t come up. So we wanted to revisit that era and show it to the present generation.

The legendary director Padmarajan’s stamp is there in this movie Kaattu. How challenging was it for you?

It was a great responsibility for me when I chose Padmarajan’s characters in this movie. I wanted to ensure that nothing should go wrong. And now the responses which we are getting are more than our expectations. To portray that particular period, I think we have used all the technicalities. We have taken all the shots in the brand new camera Arri XST. We have used master prime lenses for that and the sound has been done by Dolby Atmos. To recreate the ‘70s and ‘80s, I think all the departments have worked really hard for this.

What made you choose Asif Ali to do the role Noohakannu?

When I heard the description of the character of Noohakannu, I was well convinced that Asif was appropriate for that role. When I discussed the role with him, he quickly felt like doing the film. And moreover, we were confident enough with him because he could easily transform into Noohakannu’s mannerism and physicality.

I have noticed that all your heroes have shades of grey and are not categorised in black or white. Why so?

It’s nothing like I wanted to create those ‘grey-shaded characters’. We’ll always see people’s positive face. But each and every one of us has a negative aspect too. So it becomes natural if we reproduce them in movies in a realistic way.

Critics have pointed out that your characters take a lot of time to get established, as either positive or negative. What do you have to say about this?

In my view, the story is carried out through my characters. So if there is no substance in them, and if they are not able to transform into that appropriate character I don’t think the audience will be able to accept the plot or the movie. And furthermore, we have different kinds of audiences too. Some audience can accept the characters even before they are established. But there are some audiences who need detailing in characters.

Following three hit movies, you returned with the movie 1 BY 2, casting Murali Gopi and Fahad Fasil. Almost everybody was expecting the movie to be a huge success, but unfortunately, it didn’t do well. What do you think could have been the reason?

I don’t consider it is an average movie. People have expectations once a movie is released. And I think this movie couldn’t meet people’s expectation. This might be the reason of failure. I should state that I have put the same effort in this movie too.

Was it the failure of 1 BY 2 that made you wait for another three years for your next movie?

Whatever it is, be it success or failure, it doesn’t affect me. I am a person who thoroughly hands over my movie to the audience after the making. Thereafter, it is their choice to accept it or not. Every movie is a learning process for me.

Your combination with Murali is a known hit combination in the Malayalam movie industry. How did it start?

I approached Murali to act in one of my movies. After that, we had a lot of conversations on many subjects. Ee Aduthakalathu was one of them and I was really impressed by the storyline. I asked Murali to write the script for that, which initially he denied because he wasn’t very confident about writing a script after the failure of the movie Rasikan. With time, after we started talking to each other, we understood that we have the same vibe. We are looking forward to more movies together in future.

When did you consider shifting your career from editing to direction?

When I started my career, I never had any plans to become a director. After editing almost 30 films, I thought of making a film and I was interested in learning direction. It was while doing the movie ‘Kaanichivaram’ that I finally decided to try out direction.

Your production Vedi Vazhipaadu faced a lot of problems because of the censor board. What is your impression about the interference of the censor board?

The censor board doesn’t have any authority to chop a movie; they have the authority to only give film certification. Today, I think almost everyone can see all sorts of videos which are accessible on the internet. So I really don’t get it as to why the censor board is demanding to cut a few scenes and several dialogues from movies. They claim that it affects the audience in many ways. Actually what censor board is doing is something which is not satisfactory. Do they think that our audiences are fools to follow what they see on screens? Our audience is knowledgeable and intelligent enough to take the movie as it is.

Actors like Indrajith, Murali Gopy, Jayasurya, and now Asif Ali have had the best performances of their careers in your films. What’s the secret behind it?

I’m happy to hear that. All actors should be like clay so that the director can mould them according to how the character should be. If you give a defined character, they will be able to deliver their utmost performances.

The post Winds of Change: In conversation with Kaattu director Arun Kumar Aravind appeared first on FWD Life | The Premium Lifestyle Magazine |.

Interview by: Suhas KM   Words By: Charishma Thankappan    Featured image source: Wazir official movie page

He is known for changing the face of Bollywood cinema with never seen before concepts through films such as Shaitan, starring Kalki Koechlin and Rajiv Khandelwal. Bejoy Nambiar soon shot to stardom with the tag of being an experimental filmmaker, bringing uncommon experiences to the audience. He was also behind films such as David and Wazir. A Malayali, he is now venturing into the Malayalam film industry for the first time with Solo, starring Dulquer Salmaan. The film has roused a lot of curiosity ever since it was announced, through its one-of-a-kind storytelling and its exceptional music. Bejoy speaks to us about his journey so far.

What is Solo about?

Solo is an anthology of four stories, based on the four different elements of earth, fire, wind, and water. It explores the emotions of Shiva, ranging from extreme rage to extreme love. Dulquer Salmaan plays the protagonist in each of the stories as the characters Siva, Rudra, Shekhar, and Trilok.

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How different are Dulquer’s characters in this film, from what he has done in all his previous films?

Dulquer has done a fabulous job in making sure that each of the characters in the four stories is as different and unique from each other. Entering into the Malayalam film industry, I wanted to bring something very different that has not been seen in Malayalam films before, and Dulquer has ensured such a performance which will be very unexpected for the audience.

Another unique characteristic of your films is the music. Like your other films, Solo too has a number of songs with several musicians.

I don’t set out doing a film deciding that I need a certain number of songs in it. As I’m writing, I keep writing music into my films; I start collecting songs and keep recording music, using music as a tool for my writing and filming. My filming process is such that I keep adding music as it progresses. But my problem is I don’t know when to stop (laughs). Solo gave me a lot of freedom and opportunity to lend different soundscape to the different stories and genres. There are four-five songs which are existing songs of which I did reprised versions, such as Aal ayal … It was my way of getting more out of them because I love their music, and therefore the large number of songs in the film. There is so much variety in the music that everyone will like some of the songs at least.

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Tell us about the female characters in the film.

Sruthi Hariharan plays the character Ruku in World of Siva, Neha Sharama is Akshara in World of Rudra, Dhansika is Radhika in World of Shekhar, and Arthi Venkatesh is Aisha in World of Trilok. Women play a pivotal role in the film. Even though Dulquer is there in all the stories, each of the women characters is integral, without whom the film would be incomplete. It is not just the female leads, but other actors such as Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Deepti Sati, Sujata Sehgal, Sai Tamhankar, Asha Jayaram, Ann Augustine who play important roles in each of the stories.

Being a Malayali, what made you venture into Malayalam films so late?

I was born and raised in Bombay, and therefore my natural inclination was towards Bollywood. However, I started my career in Malayalam through a short film. I had also discussed a project with Lal sir (Mohanlal) but it did not pan out. I was also in talks with Prithviraj after Shaitan and David, it was almost in progress but did not work out in the end. I have now ventured into the industry with Solo. Let’s see how it is received.

After watching your films in Bollywood, such as Shaitan, David, Wazir, etc., I felt that experimental films are your forte. Now, while entering into the Malayalam film industry as well, you are bringing such a new concept. What made you choose such a genre?

When I set out to do a film, it has to excite me and make me feel I really want to do it. So I have never consciously tried to confine it into a particular genre. I do not strive to make big budget commercial films. With Solo, I have tried to bring in a commercial aspect as much as possible, which you can see from the trailers as well, and they are quite relatable.

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Do you follow Malayalam films?

I do watch Malayalam films. Lijo Jose Pellissery is a close friend of mine. He advises me on which films to watch. Even in Mumbai, people watch Malayalam films when there are English subtitles.

How did you develop your passion for films?

I have loved films right from childhood. My family members are also movie buffs and we used to wait for new releases to watch through VHS (video home system).
I started with a short film called Reflection. After that I assisted Mani Ratnam sir in Guru. That’s how I made my entry into films.

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Tell us about how you got Mohanlal to act in your short film Reflection?

I always wanted to get into films. But I wanted to do at least ten short films before venturing into feature lengths. Lalettan was of course on my wishlist. So I started approaching him for an appointment and after about six months I finally got one. He heard the story and within ten minutes agreed to do the film. I was shocked! It was the early 2000s, when films were still being shot on reels. At that time there was no one to help me out; it was cinematographer Sethu (Dangal) who did my film.

You assisted Mani Ratnam sir in Guru and Raavan, and then worked with him again in Kaatru Veliyidai after being a director yourself. How was the experience of working with a legendary filmmaker like him?

Working with Mani sir is like going back to school to learn. I ask him about the when, what, hows of the filmmaking process. Even if he doesn’t want me around during the shoot, I somehow fit myself around to watch and learn from him.
I was able to get the opportunity to work in Guru through Reflections. I was just about to start my second short film, when he called me for Guru. So I dropped all my plans and went to join him.

How was it working with Amitabh Bachchan in Wazir?

Like every director in India who wants to work with Bachchan sir, I am no exception. To be able to work with him is a big thing, and being able to direct him was a great experience. He is an absolute sweetheart and is full of warmth. Even now when I meet him, I am starry-eyed.

In the film Shaitan, I was taken aback by the scene in which there is a shootout sequence, and it has the background music as Khoya Khoya Chaand. What made you place such a song in such a scene?

While writing the script, we always had in mind that we needed a completely random song that was out of the scene. Initially, we had the songs Lakdi ki Kaati and the Vicco Turmeric in mind, then later fixed on Khoya Khoya Chaand, which was perfect.

When I watched your film David, I felt that the story which had actor Jeeva (in Tamil and Vinay Virmani in Hindi) had a lot more to convey. There is scope to convert it into a feature film. So, can we expect something on those lines in future? Also, the film has three stories in Hindi and two in Tamil; why did you cut out the story based in London, which has Neil Nitin Mukesh in the lead?

David did not receive a great response, so I don’t think that a sequel to it will be welcome. I started writing David with the story which has Jeeva/ Vinay, so that story is very close to my heart.
When we had planned David, we had not decided to bring it out as a bilingual. So we felt that the London-based story would not suit the Tamil audience.

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