Director’s Special

SHANKAR
A bundle of nerves, again!

With four hits in a row, Gentleman, Kathalan, Indian and Jeans, Shankar has the rare distinction of being perhaps the only director in recent times with a fan following all his own. Not surprisingly, his next, Mudhalvan, released on November 7 all over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh has raised expectations to a feverish pitch. But the skeptics suspect the law of averages may catch up with Shankar this time, especially since the film stars Arjun, who’s going through a lean trot. Shankar takes time off to speak to SCREEN about the film and his outlook on cinema.

You never reveal storylines, but can you put it in a nutshell for us?
(Smiles) Well, all I’ll say is, the film narrates the tale of a youth who does reach the top, and becomes the numero uno in his line, as the title suggests.

Does Mudhalvan have a message for the viewer or political overtones like Gentleman and Indian did?
Politics, yes, but just a whiff of it. But the film does have a strong storyline, about the problems faced by today’s youth.

Jeans was criticised for the fact that it did not have much of a storyline, and was meant solely for fun viewing...
People are entitled to their views. But to me as a director, I don’t want to be typecast or branded. The audience should not walk in with preconceived notions about my films, or I’d soon be branded as a didactic director, and nothing can be more boring, both for the audience and for myself! I’m sure I’d be bored to death with a director who ceases to spring to surprises with his films. Variety is of the essence here. When I met the two stuntmen, Ram and Laxman wearing an entirely similar outfit, I observed them at close range. I was struck by the idea of making a film on what would happen if a girl breezed into their lives. And Jeans orginated from there.

You have no superstars to prop Mudhalvan up, and have cast Arjun, instead, as hero.
Well, here again, I have no obstinate notion against working with or without the big stars. It’s just that I found Arjun apt for the role, and believe me, he’s indeed, done a wonderful job. There is a great actor inside him waiting to be tapped, and it’s a pity nobody has.

Did you cast Manisha as heroine with an eye on the Hindi market?
Not at all. Again, I have nothing against casting girls from the South although I’ve had Madhoo in my first film and later, Naghma (Kathalan), Manisha and Urmila in Indian, Aishwarya Rai in Jeans and now Manisha again. Actually I had Meena in mind for the role, but she’s already working with Arjun in Rhythm and I thought, the freshness of the pair’d be lost by the time Mudhalvan hit the screens.

AR Rahman says Mani Ratnam and you are two directors who bring out the best in him. What’s his music like in this film?
What I like about Rahman is his fighting spirit, his never-say-die approach. Let me explain. I wanted a song on the theme of ‘Smile’. But after the lyrics were written and the composing was done, I wasn’t entirely pleased with our efforts. I knew something was lacking, and Rahman felt the same way, too. Then I thought of a song that says ‘No.’ This excited us so much it shows in the song, complete with a great deal of folk elements. We’ve seen to it the music caters to people of all ages and tastes.

Will Mudhalvan get dubbed into Hindi, too, like your earlier films?
No. Mudhalvan has too much of the dhoti and nativity element to appeal to people in other states. But if it does well in Tamil Nadu and Andhra, I may remake it in Hindi.

Now that you’re a producer, too, does it help as a director?
I try not to mix both roles. I still direct as if someone else were the producer, because it’s less of a strain on the budget, that way! For instance, if I wanted a blue sky and it’s dull day for the shoot, I shoot any way, for packup would mean loss of manpower and money.

How come the film took a year to make? Were you wavering on the sets with the script as some insiders suggest?
No way. Once the script is ready, and shoots commence, I brook no changes beyond dropping a scene or extending a shot.

Ever since your brand of filmmaking has come in, production costs have mounted because you shoot on a lavish scale, running into Rs 10 crore and upwards. Comment.
I think if one had Rs 1 crore and no story, the film would be a flop and the same would be the case if you made the film with, say, Rs 10 crore. As far as I’m concerned, budgets are irrelevant for the success of a film.

Ayyappa Prasad