There's nothing quite like a quiet corner in a coffee shop to gather your thoughts and begin writing.
Gautham Menon
In everybody's life, there is love, there is sorrow, there is melancholy. And there might be danger as well.
There are people who've told me cinema is a visual medium and you don't need to say so much. When I write the script, all these lines of what the characters are thinking are written. Once the film is shot and the lines are dubbed, I tone it down in postproduction if I feel it gets heavy.
I drove past one of the houses in Tiruvanmiyur and asked them if we could shoot there for 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya' because it seemed straight out of the pages of the script.
It is in college that one gathers confidence as the mind is open to ideologies.
Ranbir was my first choice for 'Ek Deewana Tha.' I tried to get in touch in with. Forget about meeting Ranbir. I couldn't even meet his secretary. Yes, even the secretary refused to meet me.
I understand that bureaucracy, hierarchy and managing politics is not easy.
All the women close to me - my mother, sister, wife and friends - are strong and independent.
With Nani, what struck me was his confidence. It has been a revelation. Nani, the most confident actor and it is a pleasure to work with him. Will do a film with him anytime given a chance.
The initial response to 'Yennai Arindhaal' was that it didn't have all the quintessential commercial elements, though I consider it as my most commercial venture.
What you feel about a film is what you feel when you're in love with a woman. You fight for her love and it's always a struggle... there are misunderstandings and you're always trying to prove that there's more to you.
YVM' is a feel-good romance.
The lead character in 'Yennai Arindhaal' is like an extension of the protagonists of 'Kaakha Kaakha' and 'Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu.'
I understand the angst of a filmmaker.
Even when 'Kaakha Kaakha' was released, there were people who gave it an average rating and said they couldn't figure out what was happening. Three days after its release, the producer called me and asked me to remove all of Jothika's scenes from the film. I told him; in that case, you can also remove my name from the director's slot.
Though I have an idea about the climax, it always changes when we start shooting.
Yennai Arindhaal' is perhaps the quickest film in my career.
In Mumbai, I feel like a stranger.
Yes, I am nervous before a film's release and withdraw into a shell.
I write linearly without knowing the full story. I discover it as I write it.
The industry doesn't usually say nice things about my work. My films take a while till they are accepted as good and I think 'Yennai Arindhaal' too will go through that phase.
Vipul Shah wanted me to do the Hindi adaptation of my film 'Kaakha Kaakha.' I declined the offer.
I like to show love in a way that will bring a smile or a tear to viewers.
Nayakan,' 'Sathya' and 'Thevar Magan' are my biggest influences.
You need stars to create the buzz and bring audiences to the cinemas.
Most of the romance in my films has been inspired by my father.
For a film like Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu, I was particular that nothing should be revealed prior to release.
If I am going to be afraid of the criticisms that my films get, I am never going to make films.
The only aspect I'd probably change in some of my films is the death of the heroine. I wish I'd kept some of them alive.
I firmly believe in copyrights and am put off by plagiarism.
When I was approached to remake 'Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya,' I felt that it was a good way to reach out to a wider audience, every director wants that.
Bollywood is a different ballgame. I am quite used to Tamil and Telugu films.
Generally, I feel I'm cast aside because of the kind of movies that I make.
It's just that I can write something nice is what motivates me.
The music I listen, the book I read, and the people I meet; these are some things that keeps me going.
And I'm not homophobic.
If my tale has to revolve around a protagonist and there is action around him, I can only imagine him to be someone from the police or the Army.
I write my scripts on a whim, without worrying about plot points and graphs.
When people think I've lost it, I'll make 'Chennaiyil' and show them I've still got it.
I go straight into shooting with a script that's 80 per cent complete and I wait for my characters to grow on me before I finalise the climax.
I've portrayed cops as heroes for far too long, I think.
If I could talk in only one language for the rest of my life, it'd be Tamil.
I'm not a big fan of fantasy; I'd rather watch 'Desperate Housewives' than 'Game of Thrones.'
How the audience as a collectivity feels about a movie is important.
I don't read the reviews because it somewhere affects my work. If some critic doesn't like a movie, I can't keep his criticisms in mind the next time I am making a film. Even if someone writes a great review about my film, I don't want to be affected by it.
I think I have made too many cop films.
One reason why I've taken 11 years to make my second Hindi film is because I am comfortable working with the stars in the South, as they are with me.
Though I'm happy with the response to the film, I've been hearing the feedback that 'Yennai Arindhaal' has traces of my earlier films. It was meant to be like that. Since it's part of a trilogy, hence the reference to the other two films in the franchise.
Today, most big stars want scripts to be written in a particular way, show them in a certain light. They want people to like them for various reasons. It's all about how much people will like me in this film than about whether it's a good film or not.
Ekk Deewana Tha' will have a surprise ending to watch out for.
