K atradhu Thamizh Ram, as some of the posters refer to him, is a man of few words. However, what is noteworthy is that even the shortest of exchanges with the director almost always revolve around or at least begin with his first film Katradhu Thamizh . This, despite the fact that six years have passed since its release and that Ram’s second film Thanga Meengal is ready for release. His debut film, though not a box-office success, has given him a kind of fan following that few one-film-old directors can dream of. Aware of the expectations that the audience might have about Thanga Meengal , he says, “I wanted to try out a different genre after Katradhu Thamizh ; I wanted to say something new.”
What kind of a film is Thanga Meengal ? “A film about the relationship between a father and his daughter.”
Thanga Meengal is a step in a different direction for Ram — apart from writing and directing the film, he has also played the father. The story goes that the producer of the film Gautam Vasudev Menon had consented to produce the film only if Ram played the role. Curiously, Ram’s remark about acting for the first time is that it is “easy and manageable”. “The actors only have to react. And, the fact that the medium lets me edit out the bad bits worked to my advantage,” he quips.
While Katradhu Thamizh ’s forcefully spoke about perils of globalisation and capitalism, the trailers of Thanga Meengal indicate that it is perhaps about the shortcomings of the education system. “The film documents issues within the education system, but I wouldn’t say it makes a direct comment. I only hope it pushes people to have a closer look at what we have in the name of education.”
