Director M. Muthaiah doesn’t hate the media for its unanimous criticism of his first film, Kutti Puli , which ironically went on to become a commercial hit. He is simply disappointed that he couldn’t get more bouquets for his debut and hopes that Komban , starring Karthi, will fare better. “I understand why journalists didn’t have great things to say about Kutti Puli . I had to include many commercial elements in the story, an aspect I don’t think they liked much.”
He claims the negative reviews have had a positive effect on him. As proof, he cites that “the masala isn’t as overpowering in this film”. Komban , a story set in Ramanathapuram district, is about Kombaiah Pandian, a butcher played by Karthi, and his relationship with his father-in-law, played by Rajkiran. The director, inspired by the egotistical tussles between his father and his grandmother, has drawn the story straight from life. As the film is set in a rural milieu, Muthaiah and Karthi had to sidestep the pitfall of being compared with Karthi’s last great rural outing, Paruthiveeran . “ Paruthiveeran was about a hoodlum and his penchant for trouble; this film is softer and is about human relationships. Storywise, there’s little that is similar.”
Karthi wanted the director to ensure he looked nothing like he did in Paruthiveeran . “It was such an important film and it is only natural that he retains some influences. During the shooting of Komban , he was sharp enough to remove all traces of his debut film.” The actor, incidentally, is fresh from the success of Madras . Does this mount pressure on Muthaiah to deliver a hit? “Not really. The initial response for Kutti Puli came largely from Sasikumar’s previous film, Sundara Pandian , doing really well. So, Madras ’ good reception will only act as a boost for Komban .”
Komban ’s other highlight is stunt choreographer Super Subbarayan playing the antagonist. “I wanted a new face, and yet somebody who people are familiar with. He was perfect.” The veteran stunt master is a vital member of a rival family in the film.
While Muthaiah looks forward to directing a city-based film in the future (“I wanted my second film to be set in a city”), there’s a reason why he’s comfortable with rural subjects. He is from the villages — Srivilliputhur to be precise. “With a dad who ran a tea shop, it’s safe to say I spent as much time in cinema theatres as I did in school.” An observant kid, he paid a lot of attention to people and practices around him. “I show how some old people wear a black thaali in villages in Kutti Puli . Similarly, I dwell on some little-known wedding practices in Komban . I hope people will like discovering these things.”
The director declares that all his films will be about relationships. While Kutti Puli was about a mother and a son, this film is about a man and his father-in-law. “It is, after all, relationships that make or break a man. It is love for another human that causes a man to either become a sinner or a saint.”
