The runaway success of short filmmaker-turned-feature filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj’s Pizza has demonstrated that aspiring filmmakers no longer have to slog as assistant directors before making their directorial debut. It also inspired confidence in the minds of producers who opened up to the idea of collaborating with up-and-coming short filmmakers with bright ideas on a feature film.
Almost a year and a half later, Karthik is back with Jigarthanda , a gangster flick set in Madurai that promises not to hold back its punches. Featuring the ever-young Siddharth, pretty Lakshmi Menon and menacing Bobby Simha, the smartly cut trailer seems to suggest that this 'Western' will be populated with men with bushy beards wielding sickles engaged in bloody duels.
A litmus testADVERTISEMENT
The second film is usually considered a litmus test for any filmmaker and Karthik is feeling the heat. In addition to it, he has to cope with the pressure of being identified as a representative of the entire community of short filmmakers. Has it affected him at any point?
“The success of
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In commercial cinema, violence is often depicted in a stylised way, conveniently side-stepping the context and the social conditions that give rise to it. How open will this film be while discussing violence in Madurai? “It is true that an honest discussion about a number of issues is difficult when it comes to a commercial feature. That way, short films are liberating. I made a short film called Neer which was about issues faced by Tamil fishermen. But I have tried to shed light on a few myths regarding Madurai in Jigarthanda .”
On more than one occasion, Karthik talks about how fascinating ‘mob’ movies are and how the general audience get hooked on them.
What makes these gangster flicks tick? “It is a kind of fantasy that we wouldn’t want to live ourselves. We love rooting for anti-heroes,” he says.
Jigarthanda is a triangular love story involving a dreaded gangster, played by Bobby Simha. The film is expected to be a big break for Bobby. What was the idea behind casting a fairly young actor in the role of an ageing gangster? “I decided not to cast anyone who we thought was an obvious choice for the role, including Vijay Sethupathi. After seeing his performance in Neram , in which Bobby played a gangster, we thought that if we do a complete makeover, he could crack it.”