'Comedy comes naturally to me'

'I believe that one thing leads to another. Seenu Ramasamy's Thenmerku Paruvakaatru earned Vijay Sethupati the role in Karthik’s Pizza, which was a huge success.'

'You cannot credit just one film to his success, there were a number of films.'

Nalan Kumarasamy talks about success, and superstar Vijay Sethupati.

Director Nalan Kumarasamy made a brilliant debut with Soodhu Kavvum, one of the biggest hits of 2013.

The film achieved cult status, and opened the floodgates for a new breed of directors exploring innovative scripts and never-before seen characters.

Three years later, the director is back with a rom-com called Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum. The film is the official remake of the successful Korean film My Dear Desperado.

Starring Vijay Sethupathi and Madonna Sebastian, the film opened to packed shows and rave reviews.

In this conversation with Rediff.com contributor S Saraswathi, Nalan opens up about his film, and why it's frustrating being labelled.

You had scripted a brilliant tale with Soodhu Kavvum. Why choose a remake now?

As a director, I am open to everything. I enjoyed the story and thought it would make a good film for the Tamil audience. So I went ahead.

I cannot be expected to make a Soodhu Kavvum each time. Once something succeeds, people want you to do the same thing over and over again.

The response for Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum would have been even better if people had come with an open mind. It is a beautiful story that people would have loved.

In all my interviews before the film's release, I had maintained that it was a completely different story, and that one should not expect another Soodhu Kavvum.

This is one of the reasons why the project was delayed. I wanted to do one thing, but people were expecting something else from me. It was a very confusing phase of my life.

There were rumours that you were working on a trilogy after Soodhu Kavvum….

I did start on a script with that in mind, but was unable to complete it. Then this came along, and I thought it would make a good film.

You worked with Vijay Sethupati when he was relatively a newcomer but now he is a huge star. Has your equation with him changed?

Vijay Sethupathi and I go back a long way, much before Soodhu Kavvum started. We share the same rapport. Nothing has changed.

What we need to understand is that we all evolve, we all change. Today, even I am a different person, my approach to films or my style has changed.

The way I approached Soodhu Kavvum is different from how I handled Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum. The changes I have noticed in Vijay are all positive. 

Do you feel you have played a major role in his success?

I would rather say that I too played a part in his success. I believe that one thing leads to another. Seenu Ramasamy's Thenmerku Paruvakaatru earned him the role in Karthik’s Pizza, which was a huge success.

You cannot credit just one film to his success, there were a number of films.

 

How did Madonna land the female lead?

I felt Madonna had the looks for the character I had in mind. But that aside, she is a tremendous actor. I came to know of her through Alphonse Putharen, who is a good friend.

We went to Cochin to audition her and she did a wonderful job. She is a natural performer and that turned out to be a major plus for the film.

In fact, we started shooting for the film much before Premam was released and her popularity grew.

Tell us about Karthik Subbaraj.

Karthik Subbaraj, Alphonse Putharen, M Manikandan (of Kaaka Muttai fame), Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, Karunakaran -- all of us know each other from our short filmmaking days.

It is not like we have a lot of time to hang around together but we keep in touch over the phone. When Karthik approached me for the role, I immediately agreed. It was a good experience. 

Good quality cinema can never be boring. I think we have managed to strike the right balance. Entertainment is the key; creating something different within the realm of mainstream cinema, I think that has worked in our favour.

As a filmmaker, what is your biggest strength?

My skill is in my writing. I love the idea of storytelling, creating characters, and bringing them to life on screen. While I pen down my thoughts, I can visualise every tiny detail that would be required for a scene.

What should be the geography of the scene, how the actor should react; every little thing is clear in my mind. Script writing has very different dynamics. I think my strength lies in that.

Besides, comedy comes naturally to me.

 

 

How much freedom do you allow your actors on the sets?

I look at myself more as a collaborator rather than a director. My actors are relaxed and comfortable on the sets.

We discuss the scene, and they have full freedom to improvise and provide inputs. Unless they specifically come to me for help, I don’t interfere.

Can you name one contemporary director whose work you admire?

Manikandan’s Kaaka Muttai was a beautifully made film. A lot of detailing has gone into making the film perfect. He is very meticulous and I admire that.

He is also a very good friend; he was the cinematographer of my short films.

Does success bring pressure? Is it harder to get started or keep going?

Both are equally difficult. Getting the first opportunity is not easy, but being labeled or progressing in just one particular genre can be just as frustrating for the director. 

Today, people do not want to trust me with an action film. They want me to stick with the same genre that proved to be a success. 

But I do not want to restrict myself to a particular genre. I want to be able to explore all kinds of films, romance, action or even a musical.