Sri Ganesh, director of Kuruthi Aattam: Rahul Dravid is my inspiration

Here are excerpts from the interview:

What do you think is Kuruthi Aattam’s USP?

Atharva: To be frank, I took the film because of Sri Ganesh’s first film, 8 Thottakal. What movie ! I trusted the director and when he told me the screenplay of Kuruthi Aattam, a gangster story set in Madurai, I was convinced. Coming to the film’s USP, all of the characters in the film are complex. They are not one-dimensional. There are no villains in the film. Even the seemingly negative guy has his justification. This is the fascinating part of Kuruthi Aattam.

Sri Ganesha: I always like to make films about interesting characters. More than the narration, I like to give depth to the characters. For example, two people are fighting. I want to tell the public where they come from and why they do what they do. This is Kuruthi Aattam’s USP.

For one thing, Atharvaa moves at a steady pace making one movie at a time. Meanwhile, Sri Ganesh took about five years to release his second film. Why such a pace?

Atharva: At first, I didn’t have the confidence to do so much at once. It wasn’t until I worked in Etti and Kanthian simultaneously that I realized I was able to multi-task. However, I prefer to take things one at a time. If you have too much to do and things don’t go your way, it hurts.

Sri Ganesha: It took me a while to write the script. But the delay wasn’t due to writer’s block. Many things are not in our hands. You will be able to see more of my work in the coming days.

Your character dies in your first film Bana Kaathadi. Later you did the heartbreaking Pardesi. And in your latest film, Thali Pogathey, you find yourself heartbroken. Are you into tragedies?

Atharva: (Laughs) It’s something I keep wondering about. I wondered if I was a sad person. Honestly, I’m a very positive person. I avoid talking about anything negative and always approach chess with hope. On the other hand, with movies, the ones that stick with the audience are mostly tragedies.

At an event, Sri Ganesh said that you helped him with the script. What is the relationship that you two share?

Atharva: I don’t think I did anything. He (Sri Ganesh) is kind. We just discussed my character and some practical aspects of his actions. Honestly, that’s all him. I have no part in it. Regarding our relationship, Sri Ganesh is a soft-spoken person and I had to be extremely careful not to hurt him with anything I said. He chooses his words carefully, which compels us to do the same.

Being such a soft-spoken person, how do you handle the whole set during filming?

Sri Ganesha: Athravaa keeps criticizing me for that (laughs). On the boards, the game is different. You have to manage hundreds of people. There, I will have to shout and coordinate. This is not a problem.

Let’s talk about the title, Kuruthi Aattam (Blood Dance). Many people are wary of blood and violence. You didn’t think the title would take them away from the film?

Sri Ganesha: Ayyo! When you say it like that, now I’m a little scared and worried (laughs). We were going towards the excitement surrounding the words, Kuruthi Aattam. It also has another subtext. It’s a matter of blood and family ties. The extent to which a man will go for his family is another running theme here. More than violence, it has a lot to do with human emotions.

Atharva: The film has some violence but we decided not to exploit it with too much gore. Sri Ganesh told me that I wanted the film to be family friendly.

Sri Ganesh, you have an eye for talent. You introduced Aparna Balamurali into Tamil cinema. Now she has won the national award.

Sri Ganesha: I feel happy about this compliment. I think there’s some sort of intuition that tells me that this actor would work well for certain roles. I am so happy for Aparna, and even Manikandan, who worked with me, took steps forward. I look for a passion in people. That brings me to good talent.

So, did you find these things in Atharvaa?

Sri Ganesha: Absolutely. What I love about him is that he’s not looking to act like a day job. He is involved in it full time. For a kabbadi sequence in the film, he trained alone in the sport. He is also involved in the production aspects of the film such as the creation of posters.

As someone who became a director without any support, what advice do you have for people who have such dreams?

Sri Ganesha: Grit is the only thing that has kept me going for five years. I keep talking about how Rahul Dravid is my inspiration (laughs). Whatever the bowlers throw at him, he just defends them no matter what. Also, you have to learn to accept rejection. I can’t expect everyone to accept my vision.