It took two films he’d ‘rather not talk about’ before Vikram K. Kumar finally found a footing in the film business. An assistant to director Priyadarshan, Vikram had found himself in an uncomfortable place, having made a flop each in Telugu ( Ishtam ) and Tamil ( Alai ). “Priyan sir asked me if I hadn’t learnt anything from him after watching those films,” jokes Vikram, remembering a period he calls a ‘wait for people to forget the films I’d made’. He speaks of how tough it is for a director to get a second chance, let alone a third. “But a director can’t ever blame anyone for a flop. A film’s your baby. You are the idiot if you don’t fight hard enough to bring it to life,” he says.
Going back to the drawing board, he said he had had enough of the stuff he was writing. He began working on an idea just because it fascinated him, and not because he felt it would work with the audience. After completing it, he called his buddy Madhavan to listen to it. “Maddy was the sole reason we could mount a film like Yavaraum Nalam . It was a time when corporates had gotten into regional production, and they were truly interested in innovative content. So, when I pitched a thriller about everything in a TV show coming true in real life, they were thrilled. In fact, it was the producer (Reliance Pictures) who asked me to expand it into a bilingual.”
With the film becoming a pan-India success, Vikram had finally found a voice and a place in the industry. “All I work for is for my current film to ensure I get my next. So, when 13B ( Yavarum Nalam ) worked, I was flooded with offers to make another thriller. But I wanted to return to Telugu and take another shot at a love story. That’s how Ishq happened.”
That’s also when Vikram’s unique working relationship with his heroes began. “ 24 is my third consecutive film (after Ishq and Manam ) to be produced by the hero himself. When I pitched 24 , Suriya had first agreed to just act; he then called me an hour later, saying he would also produce it. That showed how much confidence he had in my script.”
Does the star becoming a producer come with any advantage, then? “Of course. There’s more passion and love because they’re putting in the money. Also, decisions are made faster. But when your producer is someone like Suriya, who just wants to give you the best of everything, you can’t really blame others if your film sucks.”
The self-described laziest writer in the world is following up this science-fiction film with a medical thriller. “I love hopping genres. Ishtam and Ishq were romances, Manam was a family drama and Yavarum …was horror. I’ve even made Alai , which falls under the ‘horrible film’ genre,” he says, adding, “But those flops are my greatest treasures. Hits just make you blind. Everything I learnt about life, I learnt after my first films.”
Now, a reputed director with a hit each in three languages, has he become a proud disciple of his guru? “I saw Priyan sir walk by at a party after Manam had released. He saw me, took a step back and said ‘ Ninte padam kandu. Nannayirunnu ’ (Watched your film. It was nice) and walked away. He knows me well enough to know that that was all I wanted to hear.”
