Stories shouldn’t be written for heroes

His film might have won the National Award, but Suseenthiran has no qualms in admitting that out of the nine films he has done, only three have been commercially successful. “Though only Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu, Naan Mahaan Alla and Pandiya Nadu were hits, my other films struck an emotional chord,” he says. But the director is confident that his upcoming film, Nenjil Thunivirunthal, will work wonders both at the box office and the audience’s hearts.Even as he is busy giving final touches to this Tamil-Telugu bilingual, Suseenthiran tells us the challenges of working on two films simultaneously, why he will not write a story for a star and more…
The Sundeep Kishan-Vikranth-starrer is a bilingual. How difficult or easy was it to shoot in two languages simultaneously?
We shot in Chennai and Visakhapatnam for the film. From costume to number plates and street boards in the background, we had to pay attention to the smallest of details. We also roped in 15 artistes for the Telugu version. If there was a man standing in the background in one of the versions, even if it was a long shot, we had to ensure the same person was present in the other version. The audience might not remember, but the censor officials will take note of it and getting a state censorship certificate will become difficult. Except for these detailing, I didn’t have much trouble. The artistes are experienced and I finished shooting both the versions in just 55 days.
You’d told us that the film is about how people should be faithful to the profession they choose…
The film is about friendship, but there’s an underlying message. Naan Mahaan Alla was about how a son takes revenge for his dad’s death. But within that premise, we’d spoken about how youngsters shouldn’t leave their home and parents behind for a person they hardly know. In this film, the focus is on a bunch of friends who set up their own catering business. How an incident affects their business, and in turn, their friendship and lives, will form the crux. The social message is small, but its impact will be huge. Apart from Sundeep and Vikranth, who have done a phenomenal job, the film also has Appu Kutty, Soori, Thulasi, Harish Uthaman, Dileepan and the four boys from Naan Mahaan Alla.
Heroines have a strong role to play in most of your films.
But in this, the importance of the heroine is not much. In fact, I didn't want a heroine because the story didn't require one. But, I feared people would think this is a raw film, meant for festivals. I've just done Maaveran Kittu, which was on similar lines. Mehreen Pirzada’s character will not take the story forward, but will add value to the film. Her character believes that you need courage to live the right way. I believe this film will be a good launch pad for her in Tamil.
Your stories are rooted in reality. How do you conceive them?
I take inspiration from people and incidents around me. In Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu, the kabaddi portions were inspired from my dad's life and the love story happened in mine. In Naan Mahaan Alla, the stories of the four boys and that of a carefree guy who works in the recovery department of a bank — my brother worked as a representative whose job was to seize bikes — were conceived separately. But then, I wanted a thread to connect the two and that’s how the father’s plot came about. Similarly, I wanted to make a film on friendship and catering as a backdrop interested me.
You are simultaneously working on two films. Isn't it taxing?
Yes, there’s work pressure, but the situation is such that I can’t stop work on either of them. If a mother has two kids and she must feed one and get the other ready for school, she will have to do it, even if it’s difficult to do both simultaneously. There were some financial issues and I had to shoot my second film — which features newcomers — so that I could complete work and release Nenjil Thunivirunthal. But it’s always better to finish one film at a time.
You’ve said that your next is a stylish, urban film, something that you haven’t attempted before.
I love Mani Ratnam sir’s work and have wanted to make his kind of films. Jeeva was an attempt in that direction. Wth this one, I think I have managed to do at least 50 per cent of what he does. I believe that when you make films with newcomers, you can narrate newer stories. Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu and Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai were made with upcoming actors and fresh faces and that’s why I could narrate such stories.
So, you don’t believe in star-driven films or joining the big league?
Enakku avangala vechu ezhudha vara mattengudhu. When I write scripts, I always think about middle-class boys. I strongly believe that a hero should fit the script, and that stories shouldn't be written for heroes.
Is script sacrosanct?
Yes, if you have your screenplay and dialogues ready before shooting, 90 per cent of your job is done. You can always improvise on the set, but you can’t be scripting it on the day of the shoot.