Magalir Mattum is touted to be a light-hearted film. It seems like a departure from the dark intensity of Kuttram Kadithal , your first film.
I’m just one film old, so I myself don’t know what kind of filmmaker I am. I don’t want to be restricted to any particular kind of cinema, but I’m sure all of my films will have my voice in it. The script of Magalir Mattum evolved from an incident that happened in my life, and the idea is to make films that are about subjects I’m sure of.
The second film is what people call the toughest. But has the pressure of directing a film reduced because of the success of your first?
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magalir mattum
Not at all. It’s extra pressure this time. In my first film, the entire control was my own. I have the same control even here, but there are a lot of stake holders who are experts. When I bring in such talents, the film becomes stronger, but all these factors need to be balanced. There’s also the pressure of handling a much bigger budget, and when a National Award win is added to your credentials, it becomes another added responsibility.
Did you have this subject ready when you approached 2D to produce the film?
The 2D team had watched Kuttram Kadithal and were interested in working with me when we met. But Magalir Mattum’ s script wasn’t the only one I pitched. All of us have 50 to 60 one-liners, but I pitched three. One was for Jyothika and the other two weren’t meant for any specific actor. I started writing only after that.
Did that take long?
My theatre experience ensures I don’t take too long to write. Kuttram Kadithal was completed in just 15 to 20 days. For this, it took around two months, and I kept re-drafting as I went along. But I realise it was too short a time. I got into the script because I am familiar with certain NGOs, liberals and passionate feminists, but I felt like I could have taken a month more. But it’s always like that... even if I’d worked on it for a year, I would have still said I needed a month more.
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With Magalir Mattum , your audience too has become wider, compared to a more “niche” film like Kuttram Kadithal .
It is very difficult to manage the expectations of the people, especially because it is Jyothika’s film. It can sometimes become a burden. In a film like this, people want to see a different Jyothika. But somewhere, they also want to see the same old Jyothika, and certain patterns in her performance that made them her fans in the first place. You need to find a balance between all of this.
Were you assured that Jyothika suited the film’s feminist character?
I don’t like the term ‘feminist’ and I find the term a cliché. My film is about a woman who just wants to be herself. But the moment a woman strives to be herself, she is termed a feminist. I want to keep away from such jargon. She is a documentary filmmaker who is independent and self-made.
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Kuttram Kadithal was rich with metaphors and layers in its narrative. Can we expect that in Magalir ... ?
When it’s an independent film, you get the space to work on many minute things like that, because you’re not worried about an audience. With Magalir Mattum , I have tried to maintain my own style of writing, but I need to always remember that it needs to have mass appeal and it should entertain.
Given its many female characters, was it tough to write from a woman’s point of view?
It’s difficult. I’ve started getting feedback from my female colleagues, especially about the way I’ve presented the female characters. At the end of the day, it’s a man who has made Magalir Mattum. I’m curious to see women’s reaction to this film.
