Rajesh Selva responds to my first question by pointing out that I’m the 2,351st person to ask him that. I’ve just asked him how confident he is that the film, starring Kamal Haasan, would get him recognition as a director. The question is on account of many films starring the veteran, being known as his films. In our eagerness to classify them as ‘Kamal films’, it is often forgotten that Mahanadhi and Guna were directed by Santhana Bharathi; that Anbe Sivam was directed by Sundar C. Rajesh, who joined Kamal as his third assistant director in 2008, when work on the now-shelved Marmayogi was underway, understands this, but isn’t perturbed about being overshadowed. It’s only natural, he says. “Kamal’s so legendary that the films he acts in get spoken about as his films. It doesn’t matter who the director is. It could be me or a veteran like K.S. Ravikumar. So what? There’s so much to learn from him.”
He is just happy that after 8 years as Kamal’s assistant, he has now been given the opportunity to direct a film – starring his mentor, no less. Eight years is quite a long period to wait. “But I always knew that my wait would be rewarded.” The opportunity didn’t come easily though. Rajesh has learned over the years that with Kamal Haasan, a test is always around the corner. “Initially, he wanted to direct the film. I set about organising the schedule, and providing him with casting options. A few months later, when I was involved with pre-production work, he surprised me by saying I’d be directing the film instead. I don’t know; he was probably testing me to see how I could handle things.” He tentatively adds, “Maybe allowing me to direct this film could be a test in itself.”
While news is out that Thoongavanam is based on a French film that Rajesh doesn’t want me to name, he says the film is actually based on a French story (that he doesn’t want to publicise) by Frédéric Jardin and Nicolas Saada, for which rights have been procured. “Kamal sir and I feel strongly about piracy. Every single software we use at Raaj Kamal Films is licensed.” About the film, he says that there’ll be something for everybody; that it’s not just targeted at the multiplexes. “I won’t even call it a heroic film. Let’s just say that it’s a larger-than-life film that will satisfy his fans.”
He talks about the freedom he has been given. Casting actors such as Prakash Raj, Kishore and Sampath was his decision. Roping in cinematographer Sanu Varghese ( Vishwaroopam , Karthik Calling Karthik ) was his idea too. Any misconceptions that he could probably ease through the shooting schedules were put to rest on the second day on the sets, when they were trying to film a scene with Kamal and a child. “I insisted on several retakes as I wasn’t happy with the kid’s performance. I told Kamal sir about it and asked if he would talk to the kid. He simply said that I was the director for a reason, and that I’d have to do it myself.” Rajesh realised that he was talking to Kamal, the actor; not Kamal, the director. On another day, Rajesh was in the midst of a heated argument with Sanu. “Kamal sir stepped in, and I told him that both of us wanted to shoot a scene differently.
He suggested a third way of shooting the same scene and explained how he’d do it if he were the director, but he also added that he didn’t want me to follow his idea. He wanted Thoongavanam to be my film.” Apparently, Kamal didn’t check the monitor even once during the entire shooting. “He trusted me to do a good job.”
And last week was Rajesh’s litmus test, when he showed the film’s rough cut to Kamal. The film ended, and Rajesh waited nervously for feedback. Kamal, however, simply walked out without saying a word. “That made me so happy,” Rajesh says. To clear my confusion, he says that over the years, he has realised that when Kamal doesn’t say much, it indicates appreciation. “When unhappy, he will speak about the film’s problems, about what could have been done differently.” When you’re Kamal Haasan, even silence becomes high praise.
