Having worked with director M. Rajesh on highly successful comedy flicks such as SMS and Boss Engira Bhaskaran , it was only natural for Ponram to choose the genre for his debut film, Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam. The title is derived from the name of a club that actually exists. “The hallmark of the club is it treats serious issues with disdain and frivolous issues seriously,” says Ponram.
The moment Ponram started writing the script of Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam (remember the club made famous by actor Vadivelu in Sundar C’s film, Winner ?), he asked Rajesh for feedback. “We discuss each other’s works. Since he knew about the progress of this film every inch of the way, I asked him to pen the dialogue,” he says. Thanks to their friendship, Rajesh agreed to team up with him. “We are on the same wavelength except that I prefer to focus on village life,” he says quickly adding, “But we both like comedy.”
The director claims to have adopted a non-serious approach while writing Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam , and says the film puts forth a progressive argument about love — “ Individual preferences prevail over social strictures.”
How did he manage to rope in Sathyaraj, who refrained from playing the typical villain who gets thrashed by the hero? “He was a perfect fit for the character. He is not the villain of this film. His is a meaty role,” smiles Ponram.
