Music composer James Vasanthan is ready to take on a new role. In a dramatic move, the music maker has turned director and is already shooting his debut film titled Vaanavil Vaazhkai .
“It has been on the cards for a while,” reveals James, “I have always wanted to make a musical and was waiting for the right time to do it. This story, which is about life inside a contemporary city college campus, was on my mind for a while. I got down to penning the script a year ago and completed it in six months.”
When did this desire to direct take shape? “In Tamil cinema, there is no concept of a musical. When you use this word, it usually refers to the composer who has tuned the songs for the film. However, it is different in the West – it refers to actors who are actually singing and playing instruments.”
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James wanted something like that for his project as well – so, he scouted for college children who had a musical inclination. “We picked up artists from college bands as well,” he says, “All the artists in this film are debutants and have never faced the camera before.”
Being a musical, Vaanavil Vaazhkai will have 19 tracks – yes, you read that right! James has composed all of them. “The last few months have been very hectic… I had to compose the tracks, write lyrics and arrange the recording sessions. All this while I was also tied up with my pre-production work... That is why I had to reduce the number of films I did as a composer,” he explains.
Did he do any homework on filmmaking before taking the plunge? “I don’t go by the basic grammar of filmmaking and nor have I assisted anybody,” he says, “I’m just making a film that I would like to see on screen.”
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Currently shooting in the city’s college campuses, James hopes to release the film by the end of the year.
How does he think audiences will react to a ‘musical’ in Tamil cinema? “I was already doing well as a TV anchor when I ventured into music direction; at that time, people wondered why I was doing it. But when they heard my work, they accepted me. Similarly, I hope they’ll accept my work as a filmmaker as well.”