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Master of themes

Film director Saran follows simple principles and ideals to keep his date with success, writes G.PRASAD

PHOTO: M. MOORTHY

SUCCESSFUL A producer's director

Providing thorough entertainment to the masses through quality movies is Saran's principle. Rather than being an award-winning director, he would prefer to be recognised as a commercially successful moviemaker.

Stress-buster

"Cinema is more of a stress-buster these days. After a tight schedule, people want to enjoy the three hours they spend at the theatre. I feel that it is the duty of a filmmaker to ensure the movie is worth watching."

Though known for making action-films, Saran has also tried out different themes. Flicks like `Jay Jay' and `Parthaen Rasithaen' are perfect examples. "I even did a socially responsible film `Alli Arjuna,' which dealt with harassment of women, though it failed at the box-office. Now, fans know what my films will be like and I want to cater to their taste," he says.

The years he spent under K. Balachander, from `Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal' to `Kalki, was the most cherished experience for Saran. The lessons he learnt from the master were invaluable. "KB sir always insists that everything should be new, be it story or the technical aspects. I also learnt about editing while working under him," he recalls.

Unusual theme

Saran made his debut as a director in `Kadhal Mannan,' with an unusual theme of a mechanic falling in love with a girl who has already been engaged.

"I wanted to grab the attention of the masses. And it clicked," he says and adds that although the movie did good business, it was only the distributors who gained out of it and the producer incurred substantial losses.

Saran sacrificed a couple of chances and did `Amarkalam' for the same producer and helped him come out of red. "It was my responsibility to help a person, who reposed faith and gave me a break. I am happy that `Amarkalam' turned out to be a super-hit and also the film earned me a good name," he says. Saran has so far done three films with Ajith, the last one being `Attagasam,' and the combination has worked out very well. He was all praise for the commitment shown by Ajith and says that he shares a good relationship with the hero.

"Right from his early days I knew Ajith will emerge as one of the top stars and he has lived up to the expectations. He is also a good friend of mine and I think his dedication has brought him to such a level," he feels. Saran will also be doing a film with Vijay in the near future and says that talks are on in that direction.

Milestone

The director never forgets to share his experiences in the sets with Kamal Hasan in `Vasool Raja M.B.B.S' and terms the film to be a milestone in his career.

"Though it was a remake I had made certain alterations to the story to suit the local audience. You need experience to handle an actor of Kamal's calibre and years of working under KB sir certainly came in handy," says Saran, who also adds that he has no plans of remaking the Hindi-sequel `Lage Raho Munnabhai'.

Also a producer these days, his debut venture `Aaru' with Hari wielding the megaphone turned out to be a hit.

Now, `Muni' with Lawrence in the lead is under-production and he has signed up Kamal Hasan for a film.

"I accept that `Vattaram' did not do well as expected and there are varied reasons for that. But the film won rave reviews from critics, which was satisfying. Now I am planning to produce films in Telugu, Hindi apart from Tamil," he says.

Saran has been encouraging young talent, but he cites a different reason for choosing new-faces, particularly heroines, in his films.

"Given the cost involved in producing movies, it is very difficult to pay the amount demanded by established heroines. So, I go for freshers and at times they also draw the attention of the fans," he says.

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