When Madras breaks for an interval, your heart thumps in your chest, and you and your companion exchange a look in unspoken understanding that you have just seen a brilliantly composed extended fight sequence. It is hard to imagine that the hyper-realistic scene that has Karthi and his friend being chased by a bunch of goons through the bylanes of Vyasarpadi was orchestrated by stunt choreographers making their debut. The twins Anbumani and Arivumani (Anbariv) have already choreographed stunts for over 30 Malayalam and two Hindi films. Their much-awaited Tamil debut came as a result of their good work in the Karthi-starrer NaanMahaan Alla , where they assisted stunt master Anal Arasu. “Karthi was aware of what we could do,” says Anbu.
Immediately after meeting director Ranjith, the twins had an unusual request. “Unlike many choreographers who begin work after learning about the fight sequences a day or two before the actual shoot, we wanted to read the script weeks in advance,” he says, explaining that reading the complete script enables them to plan the fights better. “We are able to understand the hero’s weaknesses and strengths, and adapt the action to suit his behaviour.”
Anbu credits the director for the gripping script, which allowed for great action set pieces. As for the chase sequence before the interval, he says, “Ranjith narrated the scene and its objective in one line. Ten-fifteen days before the shoot was scheduled, we took a walk around the location in Sathyamurthy Nagar, Vyasarpadi. We noticed the parked bicycles, the roadside vessels, men sleeping in autorickshaws, a random function occurring at night… we took in the ambience and tried to incorporate these into the sequence as naturally as possible.”
Karthi, initially, wasn’t sure why he should break a tube light in the sequence and create a distraction to escape. Anbariv, however, explained the setting to him, and how important it is for the character to use his intelligence as opposed to muscle to make an escape. “We like sequences that are true to reality,” says Anbu, who is quite vocal about his criticism of choreographers who use action sequences to draw attention to themselves. “We hope our fights don’t stand out,” he says, “It’s enough if they add to the totality of a film.”
The twins, who are working on Vijay Sethupathi’s Idam Porul Eval and have signed three other films (two directed by former Murugadoss assistants), are defensive about the final fight in Madras that has been criticised for being over-dramatic. “We felt the character had reached a stage where he didn’t have anything to lose. It was ‘kill or be killed’. That is why it was staged on a playground where he felt a sense of belonging. Also, we heard stories of some local people who had actually beaten groups of people in fist fights. It seemed quite believable to us,” says Anbu.
Though their salary has to be shared between two people, Anbu believes it’s all for the good. “Most choreographers can focus on just one thing at a time. Considering we are two, we are able to be at several places at once, if you will. Two brains are always better than one.” If Madras is anything to go by , it’s hard to disagree.
