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Riding high on crest of success

For film director Lingusamy, hits or flops don't waver his determination to do the best

Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

ASTUTE committed film maker

A good run in the tinsel town for director Lingusamy came to a brief halt after the film `Ji'. The lukewarm response he got for the movie, in no way deterred his going. Instead, it fuelled his determination to put in his best in the next venture.

And his efforts paid off well with `Sandakozhi' turning out to be a hit.

Right from his debut film `Anandam' to his latest, the themes he has chosen have been very realistic.

Says Lingusamy: "I hail from a village near Kumbakonam. Whatever I have seen and heard in my early days has certainly had an impact in my movies. Setting aside some commercial aspects, my films depict things closer to real life."

Own style

Particular about having a style of his own, the director is also keen on not being repetitive in his subjects. The contrast between `Anandam' and his second flick `Run' is a typical example.

Lingusamy adds, with changing trends in film industry there is lot of scope for experimentation, but it is up to the director to utilise it properly.

He says he was comfortable working with both seasoned actors as well as new comers and confides he chooses heroes not for their popularity but ensures whether they fit the character.

"Madhavan was more of a romantic hero till `Run'. I felt he would be ideal for the role, even though the movie was action-packed and went ahead with it. Going by the success of the movie, I think I got it right."

Casting Vishal in the lead for `Sandakozhi' also had a similar basis. Lingusamy was impressed by Vishal's performance in `Chellamae'.

"The youngster is no stranger to me. I know him from the days when I worked for their production company as an assistant director for the film `Mahaprabhu'. Vishal's performance in `Sandakozhi' is indeed commendable and he has put in a lot of effort," he says.

It was Lingusamy who brought Meera Jasmine to Kollywood and she has certainly lived up to his expectation. After a lean patch she has made a strong comeback.

Talented artist

The director was all praise for Meera and adds that she has the ability to slip into the character.

"With such a talent she is due for more success in the industry," he predicts.

Most of the songs in his movies have turned out to be hits.

Does he have knowledge in music? "I am very much interested in poetry and music. I used to spend time with music directors during song compositions and never hesitated to give my suggestions. Hit songs are a boost to the film," he shares and adds he enjoyed working with all the music directors.

Though Lingusamy is getting offers from other languages, at the moment he wants to confine himself to Tamil.

"Some of my films that were remade in Telugu have turned out to be super hits.

And naturally there are lot of offers from Telugu industry and some Hindi producers have also approached me. But at the moment all my concentration is on my next film `Bheema'," he reveals.

Excited is the director about the project, produced by A.M. Rathnam with Vikram in the lead role.

"It is certainly going to be great to work with an actor of Vikram's calibre. As a director one should know how to extract the maximum from Vikram and I am sure people would get a chance to see him in a new dimension," he wraps up.

G. PRASAD

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