People are comparing your Kappal with Mouna Ragam .
I think one of my quotes has been cited out of context. I simply suggested that Vaibhav’s character in my film is similar to Karthik’s in Mouna Ragam . His character is ebullient and full of life.
Was it difficult to write a comedy?
Writing humour comes naturally to me. No, I am not bragging! The real challenge was in deftly dealing with the premise. It’s about a situation that applies to all of us, but if handled wrongly, it could end up seeming outlandish. It felt like I was walking on thin glass.
A full-on comedy isn’t what one would typically expect from a student of the Shankar school.
I had several scripts, including a sci-fi story. Being my first film and with a budget of Rs. 4 crore, Kappal seemed the most appropriate. Interestingly, Shankar has always spoken of wanting to make a comedy. Did you know he wanted to cast Goundamani in a dual role in Jeans but his unavailability changed the film from comedy to romance?
Is that why he decided to buy your film?
Maybe! I gave him the songs when I met him on his birthday (August 17). He told me he liked them. When he watched the film, I saw him laughing a lot. A week later, he told me he was interested in buying it.
Your producer, I Studios Entertainment, must have been quite pleased.
This is the company’s first production, and to have it bought by a big player was great news, especially in these volatile times when a film’s release is not guaranteed.
How has Shankar’s style influenced you?
In a scene in Enthiran , Shankar had to show a robot handling a delivery. Shankar asked us to research the subject for over a month so that we could get the medical facts right. He could have taken the easier alternative of showing the ECG monitor, the woman crying in agony, and the robot carrying the baby. It would have achieved the same objective. But Shankar would have none of it. I like to think I have imbibed his love for detail.
Then, surely, Kappal also has some CG scenes?
( Laughs ) Yes. I can tell you though that you won’t have a dinosaur coming out of nowhere. VFX, in this film, is used only to enhance the mood of a scene.
There’s a certain grandiosity associated with Shankar films. Do you go the same way?
If I have the budget and a big name as hero, I’m sure I will try to make the film look as grand as possible. But it’s important to have a popular hero, as it guarantees business, which consequently justifies the production expense.
What is Kappal about?
A romantic comedy, it talks about the problems associated with being over-possessive about a friend. Its objective is to make viewers laugh for two-and-a-half hours. I have roped in Karunakaran and VTV Ganesh to achieve this.
How do you handle the pressure of being referred to as Shankar’s assistant?
It’s a privilege really. I understand that the moniker comes with a certain responsibility. At the end of the day, if the film becomes a hit, I have nothing to worry about. If it fails, questions will be asked and aspersions cast.
So, Kappal too has many songs I suppose?
Yes, it does. While on the topic, I find that there’s an increasing clamour for bringing Western sensibilities into our filmmaking. I don’t agree with this. The Japanese are happy with their sushi. The Americans are happy with their burgers. We are happy with our thayir saadham. With Kappal , this is what I aim to achieve — that all sections of the audience should go out happy that they got their paisa vasool .
