It has been over a year since the movie “Pasanga” hit the screens. But, the flow of awards for the film has not ceased. The film's director Pandiraj won the National Award for regional film in Tamil, as did Kishore and Sri Ram, the two child artistes in the movie.
The director also bagged ‘Sankardas Swamigal' award for best director, presented by the Puducherry Government.
So, how did the director conceptualise this script that revolves around two boys and their families? Pandiraj says the film was the result of his urge to do something unique for his first movie. “When I looked at Tamil movies in the last two decades, I realised that there were very few movies for children. But rather than making a movie ‘for' them, I decided to do one ‘about' them.”
The beginning
The man had a humble beginning from a small village near Pudukottai in Tamil Nadu. Later, he joined actor-director Cheran as an assistant director and worked with him in a number of successful films. It took four years for him to complete the script of the movie, and even more time to sell it.
Pandiraj says there were very few takers for the story as many producers doubted the commercial viability of making such a movie. But, not only did the movie become a commercial success, but also received critical acclaim.
Having worked in the media for a while, the director was aware of the nuances of how critics viewed a film and what they looked for in a movie, and this, he says, enabled him to improve his work.
However, he feels, the most important goal is to receive audience's applause, and this acknowledgement This recognition is one of the reasons that propelled him to be part of the celluloid world..
The character Anbu in the movie reflects the director's own childhood. He has transformed many of his personal experiences into scenes in the movie, and this, he says, has given the movie that touch of reality.
But, working with children has its own constraints — most of them come with fear of the stage and the camera. However, Pandiraj says once they get over the fear, it's great! “The first 10 days are always a problem. Once you help them in this critical phase, you will be amazed at the ease with which they learn.”
His latest venture “ Vamsam” has received a warm response from the public. Pandiraj plans to do a film to cater to the taste of the urban audience. “It is my aim to do a commercial movie, targeting urban youngsters, and I've started working on the script.”
