Alternating between realistic and commercial cinema comes easily to Suseendran. Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu was followed by Naan Mahaan Alla , the formulaic bonanza with Karthi. Surprisingly his next was Azhagarsaamiyin Kudhirai , an award winning attempt with Appu Kutty as the protagonist! Now Aadhalaal Kaadhal Seiveer ( AKS ) will release (on August 15) after Rajapaatai , and soon it will be the Vishal starrer, Paandiya Naadu . “As a creator I need to try out new areas of storytelling. So I keep balancing small ventures with the big,” Suseendran explains. “After Vishal’s film I’m planning a project with newcomers again.” AKS has Santhosh debuting as hero. Manisha who drew attention in Vazhakku Enn … is the female lead. And interestingly, the film will mark the re-entry of Poornima Bhagyaraj. The yesteryear heroine returns to play the mother of the hero. “I’ve brought in a whole group of college goers, who have faced the camera for the first time. It is a film about youngsters, who are fun loving, slightly arrogant and a little selfish too. A comedy? “I would call it an emotional film,” he says. Hopefully it wouldn’t be another romantic tear-jerker, inspired by the love havocs happening in this part of the country in the recent past to add fodder to a genre we are obsessed with even otherwise! “Not at all, my assistant Lenin Bharati told me about an incident. I was impressed and conceptualised the climax first. The rest wasn’t difficult. You would never guess the denouement we have in store. It’s the ace up my sleeve. I have touched upon an issue that’s entirely new in cinema.” His words kindle curiosity.
Training fresh faces could be tiring, particularly if the director is used to wielding the megaphone for seasoned actors. Yet Suseendran seems to handle both kinds of actors with aplomb. “When I made Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu I had intensive training schedules for the cast. Generally speaking, today’s youngsters are quick on the uptake. My hero is from a middle class family and Santhosh filled the bill.”
Actor Jayaprakash is part of the cast and AKS will be his second film with Suseendran, after Naan Mahaan Alla . “JP had done a great job as Karthi’s dad in NMA . Now he’s playing another strong character,” says Suseendran.
Music should be another highlight. “The audio is already a hit. I had given Yuvan many silent shots where music had to do the enhancing, and he’s done it very effectively,” he smiles.
Small productions generally bide their time, so that their releases aren’t affected by the big films that come out at the same time. “I’ve waited too and I feel now is the time.” So is he AKS ’ producer also? “My brother Saravanan is. Of course, production is an added onus. But when the project is yours, the creative freedom is immense and for a film such as this it is absolutely essential.”
In that case he must be really confident that his script will work at the box office. “Of course, I am. Two hundred per cent! If the script is good and the making lucid success has to follow.”
