Lingusamy’s life these days is filled with poetry and colour. While the filmmaker has been writing poetry for the last 23 years, his interest in painting is quite recent. “I don’t sit down and ponder about what to write. All my poems are spontaneous,” he says.
He got interested in painting when he started using the painting app on his iPhone, which was installed by editor Antony. “I started liking it so much that I have taken to painting seriously in the last six months, in fact, practising it even at the shooting spot,” he says.
What began as a hobby took a professional turn when artiste A. P. Shridhar egged him on to exhibit his works. “I was a bit scared. But, Shridhar helped me overcome my fear. I made it a point to visit his studio everyday at 10 p.m. and spend a couple of hours there,” he says.
The outcome? A coffee table book titled Lingu . The filmmaker proudly displays his artwork and poetry at Art Houz situated on Kasturi Rangan Road. Ask him whether he has taken to art appreciation as well, and he says, “Frankly, I don’t know anything about painting or its history.”
What difference has this new hobby made to his life? “I can appreciate colour these days,” he beams and adds, “I find it refreshing.” The filmmaker hopes that this experience will influence his visual aesthetics. “I always make sure that my films are visually appealing,” he says. Revealing that his next film with Suriya will be an action-love story set in Chennai, he says, “I can confidently say that it will be the best film in my career.”
After winning the national award for Vazhakku En 18/9 , which was produced by him under the banner Thirrupathi Brothers, Lingusamy has taken to production in a big way. Apart from producing the Suriya-starrer, his production house will be collaborating with Kamal Haasan. “One of my all-time favourites is Thevar Magan . I have learnt a lot from Kamal as a filmmaker. It was my dream to work with him,” he says.
The exhibition is on till June 10.
