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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

He bets on his audience

— Photo: S.S.KUMAR

M. Sasikumar.

It has been proved yet again that films made on a shoestring budget can also make it big at the box office if the tale is gripping and the characters are well-etched. His debut ‘Subramaniapuram’ is the latest talk of the town for its out-of-the-box storyline and powerful presentation. Director and producer M. Sasikumar talks about his passion for films and the road ahead to K. Lakshmi.

“We always blame the audience taste for making films with flimsy storylines. ‘Subramaniapuram’ has proved that the audience appreciates meaningful films even if the star cast is new,” says Sasikumar.

As a student of St. Peter’s Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Kodaikanal, he was sure that he wanted to make a career in films. His bond with James Vasanthan (music director of ‘Subramaniapuram’), who was then working as music teacher there, nurtured his passion for films.

After graduation, he assisted ace directors Bala and Amir. “I realised that aspiring directors had more than two scripts ready. I decided to work on my script after Amir’s film ‘Ram’,” he says.

Why he has set the film’s story in rustic Madurai like several recent films?

“I chose Madurai as I belong to that place and know the people,” he explains.

As the film is set in the 1980s, Sasikumar had to research quite a lot to recreate that feel. “I read several books such as Film News Anandan’s ‘Tamil Cinemavin Varalaru’ to learn about how people looked in the 1980s. Unlike historical films that could be spun with imagination, this film demanded a thorough research, as every person in their 30s would have witnessed that period,” Sasikumar said. He even borrowed videotapes of the functions held in those years.

The film meticulously captures the nuances, right from the radio news bulletins and newspapers to the houses. “Even the actors’ costumes were picked up from shops in Madurai and Theni which stock up on old clothes, as they are not available in the market now,” he says.

As for the choice of artists, he says: “I chose new faces as I wanted to project them as characters. I found Mari who plays the role of a disabled person from a cinema hall in Madurai.”

Taking on the dominant violence, Sasikumar says: “The film is, indeed, about violence and its destructive role in the lives of youth. There is not much bloodletting or mass killings by the protagonist. But it is hard-hitting since it is realistic… more of a street fight.”

“Several people said the movie was disturbing. The climax registers a sense of shock and fear in the audience. That’s my success,” he said. Sasikumar plans to shuttle between acting and producing films. He has signed up as hero for ‘Nadodigal’ to be directed by Samudrakani.

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