There’s a telling moment in the trailer of Balaji Mohan’s new original series, As I’m Suffering From Kadhal , that’s to première on Hotstar on June 16. A child from a broken marriage is asked if she likes her mother better or father? The smiling father insists it’s him. The little child pipes up: “But, the food in amma’s place is better” — a moment of practicality when someone else would have milked it for emotion.
This, and other such scenes over many short films and three films ( Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi (KSY), Vaayai Moodi Pesavum (VMP) and Maari ) have seen Balaji make a name for himself as someone who likes to look at the beauty in everyday moments, however small they are. “In one sense, dealing with relationships is my strong point,” agrees Balaji. “But, the last time I dealt with a romantic relationship through a film was in KSY. What I’m focussing on in the series are more mature, complicated relationships.”
It shows. The dialogues are not coy or filmi; the characters speak like they would in real life, and there’s no holding back. “The medium ensured a huge degree of freedom. I did not have to think twice before writing something, or tone things down. I did not have to worry about an A, UA or U certificate. Many a time, in features, you tone things down yourself, because it is better than having to cut it out later. Here, I could deal with issues and scenarios that I would not have in a feature, without any worry.”
- The script is bound and ready, and the sequel is more emotional and has a strong core. I know there were critics of the original, but an equal number loved it. I have two sets of disparate audiences rooting for me. My Maari fans might not even know about my other work. My KSY and VMP fans are not exactly thrilled I made Maari . Some think I made a film out of compulsion. But, all the genres I deal with are films that I would like to watch as someone in the audience.
It helps that Balaji loves people-watching. “You can’t expect all your content to come from real life. But, your nuances are influenced by people you see and meet. I’ll put it this way — I don’t let the small things go by.”
The idea for As I’m… started off as a feature. But, Balaji had some time before beginning work on Maari 2 , and both Dhanush and Soundarya Rajinikanth told him the time was right to explore an original series. Balaji has produced it under his banner Open Window. The series deals with four couples, including Meera and Santosh, who are married and angry at each other; Tanvi and Ragav, who are to be married; and Balakumar, a divorced single dad. The cast includes Sundar Ramu, Dhanya Balakrishna, Baby Yuvina, Nakshathra Nagesh, Sananth, Abishek Joseph George and Sanjana, among others. Balaji himself plays one of the leads.
“I’ve always wanted to act, and have done cameos so far. This time, the character suited me enough to turn actor,” says Balaji. As a director, the storyline offered him enough chance to delve deep into relationship tangles and tap each character to its maximum potential.”
Plus, Balaji is a huge fan of original series. “When we have to kill time, it is original series that I turn to. I’ve always wanted to do something of this sort.” The tie-up with Hotstar happened through Trendloud, and the director says that it is a good platform to showcase his series.
How different was the process of making a series, after short films and features? “It calls for a different set of skills when it comes to logistics. In a sense, it was like going back to short films in terms of execution, but things are easier because I’m known as a feature director too. I had to work with a much lower budget than a feature; it was very experimental. I would call it something that falls in between short films and features. It called for abilities that I’d picked up in both genres. And, like every project, this also was a learning experience. It made me a better creator and administrator.”
So, how did he finalise the title? “Tell me something, most of us would have started a leave letter this way: ‘As I’m suffering from fever’… I guess that works for love too,” he smiles.
(Season 1 of the series, 10 episodes of 20 minutes duration each, goes live on June 16. You can watch it free on Hotstar)
