For a cinematographer, every frame has to be important.
Karthik Subbaraj
A short film is not a shortened feature film. It has a soul of its own.
While working in Bangalore, I was making short films.
I worked in a software company in Bangalore and made short films during weekends. I learnt the basics during a one-day workshop called Film Camp Sanjay Nambiar.
No, I am not after huge stars. But I have no reservations about working with stars.
When I thought of writing for Rajini sir, I told myself it will be a really cool character with a very happy-go-lucky attitude. We took such a character and placed him in a strong story, and I believe, as a combination, it has worked wonders.
Usually, I write my scripts first, then think of the actors, or I have a reference of someone.
When I was making short films, I didn't see a way to give them a wider reach or earn revenue out of it.
Cinema is a visual medium one has to communicate through visuals, and therefore, dialogues should be less.
I started learning filmmaking by joining a weekend film school in Bengaluru. I made some amateur short films that got appreciation from people around me.
'Mercury' is about a big company exploiting a small town. There is a place in Tamil Nadu called Kodaikanal. It had a thermometer factory, which would dump the mercury into the river. This affected a lot of people. This incident is the inspiration for this film.
'Mercury' is one of the most challenging projects I have worked on. From the nuances of the actors' expressions to the minute technicals of the movie, everything needed to be monitored and looked into. The actors were required to emote purely with their face.
You need actors and performers, but there has to be content in a film.
I would like to direct good actors, and there are good actors who are stars.
Having spent five years in the technological domain, I see the experiences in the entertainment industry from a technological perspective.
Luckily, 'Petta' encompasses all the dimensions of Rajini sir's performances. His main strengths are his charm, style, and the fun that he represents.
In India, we always look at feature films as a progression over short films. But, abroad, people make a living making short films. The revenue might not be as much as in feature films, but the return on investment is good.
You need to be a good filmmaker to make a compelling two-minute film as well.
I didn't foresee troubles in my second film.
There are some stories that can be told in two hours and some in 20 minutes.
I met Rajini sir after 'Jigarthanda,' and he said he liked my film. He told me I could approach him whenever I had a good idea. I had never thought he would listen to scripts from new directors. After the meeting, I wondered, 'Should I take his words seriously or not? Should I write something?'
When I was making short films for the TV show 'Naalaya Iyakunar,' I wasn't just competing but making films that I could potentially show at international festivals.
Short films are good, especially since independent films are making waves now, more than before.
Once I heard Karunakaran was part of 'Lingaa,' I told him to somehow arrange for me to meet Thalaivar. The 'Jigarthanda' team met him when he was shooting in Shimoga. It was a memorable meeting, as he opened the door for us, sat, and answered whatever we asked him. And, I got to meet him twice in two days!
'Iraivi' is about women, men, and their priorities. It talks about women's freedom, how men look at it, and how women use it. It's neither preachy, nor is it about women's empowerment.
Rajini sir's character in 'Petta' is inspired from the same name from Tamil film 'Mullum Malarum.'
Rajini sir has always been a part of my life from childhood. And I entered into filmmaking because I was influenced by his films.
A theatrical release is not possible for a short film.
There are some sites that pay, but access to them is quite limited. And a very small chunk of the population uses the Internet. So, a director goes on YouTube only for better reach.
I grew up in a house that adored Thalaivar. There would be major discussions at home whenever a film of his was due for release, and we would manage to watch the film on the first day.
Even during my short film days, I approached theatres with the idea of playing them during the interval. They thought it was problematic to screen an offbeat short film in between a commercial film.
Other countries are open to purchasing foreign short films because they have a market for them.
The girls who come into Tamil cinema today are educated and from well-to-do families. Unlike the actresses of my generation, they do not need cinema for survival. We cannot write a small role - dead cast, as I call it - and expect them to be excited.
I grew up idolising Rajinikanth, and I've always wanted to see him in a certain way. When I knew I was going to write for Rajini sir, I wanted to show him in the most stylish way and bring back his mannerisms and machismo.
Rajini sir gave me an opportunity to work with him because he liked my work, especially my style of narration and dialogues. Now, I can't go out and make something very different just to please him. He wanted me to make 'Petta' the way I want it and with my sensibilities intact.
Importantly, Rajini sir doesn't take his fans and audiences for granted.
Following the success of 'Pizza,' I am really glad that C. V. Kumar of Thirukumaran Entertainment has extended his support to a new director, Deepan Chakravarthy, to direct 'Pizza 2 - The Villa.' I wish this team to have a great success like 'Pizza.'
I remember, when I was working in Bengaluru, Rajinikanth's film 'Sivaji' was releasing, and I wanted to watch it the first day, first show. My manager did not want me to take the day off, and I made up excuses stating that there was an issue at home and I had to go.
When I was watching 'Sivaji,' I had no clue I will be a filmmaker; I had not even started making short films at that time.
Until I was pursuing my collegiate education, I was in Madurai with my parents. Bengaluru was the first place where I was independent. So, the city is very close to my heart.
When it comes to Sandalwood, I loved all the films of Rakshit Shetty and Pawan Kumar.
I roughly draw the scene beforehand to be more confident on the set. Instead of talking and explaining certain things, I try to visually communicate the scene to my team with the story board. This is how I work.
I basically like the unpredictability factor. When I watch a film, if it becomes predictable, I lose interest in it.
Mani Ratnam is my biggest inspiration.
When I was working in Bangalore, short film making was fun - almost like a weekend getaway for me and my friends from the software industry.
I started as a short filmmaker and found that one of the toughest challenges was getting your film to be watched. I would enter it in competitions and release it online, but getting a mainstream theatre-going audience to view the film is difficult.
Ever since I made the short film 'Black And White,' which had almost no dialogues, the idea of making a silent feature film fascinated me.
The core plot of 'Mercury' is so gripping that when I thought of making it as a silent film, it only made it more interesting. Once I finished writing the first draft, making a silent film that's both thrilling and engaging seemed possible. When the film team read the final script, they felt the same.
In a silent film, the visuals are of utmost importance.
When I made 'Pizza,' all I had in my mind was to make the film reach as many people as possible.
