The easiest way to refer to a song is, of course, by its title. What when you can’t remember it though? You’d probably try to elicit it by mention of the film’s hero. To refer to Sivaji ’s ‘Thee Thee’, you’d probably say, “That Rajini film in which he’s lying down on a fancy bike…” It’s this that caused lyricist Pa. Vijay to turn hero. “The creators of a song — singers, lyricists, composers — usually end up forgotten. The heroes get all the attention,” he says. However, since his debut as an actor six years ago, Vijay hasn’t quite received this attention he speaks of. And he blames that on his sensibilities as a lyricist, influencing his choice of films. “I guess I ended up choosing the kind of films I like. I should have chosen films that people would like.” And that’s exactly what he believes he has done this time with Strawberry , a supernatural thriller that he’s also produced and directed.
“Work on the script started three years back, when I noticed that horror films were doing well. Part of the story is based on a real incident that I read about.”
With a tentative script in hand, Vijay went to K. Bhagyaraj, his mentor and the man who gave him his first break in Tamil cinema. A few suggestions, some conversations, and some changes later, the script was polished and ready. The director wasn’t, though. “As a hero, I found that even when I put in my best work, I was rather stifled by the limitations of the story or the director.”
So, he decided to turn director. And then, he realised that direction was no doddle. “I suddenly realised I had to learn about many other aspects of filmmaking — like editing and VFX.” The latter was particularly important, as Strawberry , being a “ghost movie”, demanded a lot of CGI work. “We finished shooting in 55 days, last year. Since then, I’ve been busy working with the VFX team,” he says.
Matters were further complicated by his decision to produce the film. And that was no piece of cake either. “I found that the unions often sent more people on the sets than necessary, which increased the overall budget.” In fact, he had people telling him that his money would be better spent on real estate investment. His belief in Strawberry , however, has now been vindicated by Thenandal Films, a leading distributor, purchasing it.
Vijay plays a taxi driver in the film. “I can’t say I play a hero because it’s not that kind of a film. Samuthirakani, Robo Shankar and Devayani also play important roles.” He is a nervous wreck now, as he awaits the verdict on his film. With so much happening, surely, he wouldn’t have had any time to expend on his first passion — lyric writing. “I actually ended up writing a song for a new director just a couple of days ago. He refused to budge even though I was in a state of anxiety about Strawberry ’s release. I’m glad I sent him away happy.” That’s exactly what Vijay will be hoping to do this week, now that the film’s out — send audiences out of the theatre happy.
