Lokesh Kanagaraj on ‘Vikram’: Kamal Haasan running one-man relay

Lokesh Kanagaraj has never worked as an assistant to the director. He never went to film school. Instead, he says he learned filmmaking by watching Kamal Haasan’s films. In his four-film long career, he admitted that he wrote all of his characters with the colors of the lotus, except for one film that also drew from characters from Kamal’s film: Vikram.

So the story goes that Lokesh had come up with an idea for Kamal, which the actor liked. turned to conversation Vikram (1986) and fans of the original Lokesh were eager to know more about what Kamal originally envisioned, which was rejected by critics long before its time. At one point, Lokesh was so impressed by Kamal’s idea of ​​a hero that he stopped him there and asked if he could borrow this character sketch and incorporate it into his narrative.

The veteran warms to the idea. The meeting ended with Kamal providing meat, in addition to a huge budget to Lokesh, looking for a battalion of stars including Vijay Sethupathi and Fahad Faasil, and an arcade of guns – owned by Kamal himself. New VikramA full blown action is superfluous, says Lokesh. Edited excerpts from a chat:

Obviously you are fascinated by action movies…

I am heavily influenced by Hollywood movies of the 1990s that I grew up watching, like Cruel, Rambo, terminator And this die Hard Chain. Just like today’s kids enjoy Marvel and DC movies, these action movies had a lasting impact on me. Maybe that’s the allure of childhood, that’s why I’m attracted to this style.

In Tamil cinema, there have been very few adulterated action films such as kuruthipunali, Chathirayan, Inaida Cagalo And theran learning ondru, When people ask me why my movies are on at night, it’s probably because Umai Vizigli, I was impressed by Kamal sir’s influence when I started making films. truth, So, I was so special that Vikram Doesn’t have to be just another action flick… I wanted the effect to continue.

With your first film ‘Managaram’, you said that the script was structured so many aspects of the narrative come together. You said there was very little writing involved in ‘Cathy’, because it had more to execute. With ‘Master’ you wanted to show the parallel journey of two characters. How different is the handwriting of ‘Vikram’?

The initial pressure on me was to live up to the expectations of the fans. Though I made it clear that I am a fanboy, I knew that making a film with Kamal sir was not an easy task. The real pressure was to impress Kamal sir with his writing as he hasn’t done a film for close to six years. [discounting Vishwaroopam 2 which was shot before], From his side, I was sure that he would be special about a weighty script. In fact, he was so keen on language and colloquialism that I wanted to live up to his level.

He liked the basic idea I told him. but because I was so impressed with his idea, when he did the original Vikram, I wanted to take on his character and fit into my world. It took me a long time to write and he was in constant touch, although I was giving him an excuse by saying that it was taking longer than usual. When I gave the tied script, I liked what came out and said, ‘This totally looks like your world. So, I will come on board as an actor now.’

For some films, you can judge whether or not it will work at the writing level. And there are movies you only know after making them. Kamal sir understood that this film is from the latter. He was also confident that I would delete it because he has seen my previous work and liked it.

Considering that Kamal Haasan has done it all, you must have been in two minds, and the choice has to be between an experiment or going out with a one-of-a-kind film.

Vikram Still an experiment for me in terms of storytelling. It is a complex film with different characters in their layers. The film has two genres: the first part is full of mystery and the second part is completely action packed. In fact, the driving force is the action in the latter.

i emphasize that Vikram It will be a dramatic experience because of the kind of effort that went into its execution. Generally, if you don’t sleep early in the morning, chances are you might wake up at the same time the next day as well. Your routine collapses. Now imagine a 100-day scenario where you start work late in the evening and shoot till morning. Imagine 1,000 people working all night with such a huge star cast to make that dream come true. At the end of the day, your metabolism changes and it will affect your creative process.

Even after completing Kamal Haasan’s part, we had Fahadh and Vijay Sethupathi’s parts to shoot. Since this film has a specific timeline, we had to maintain consistency. As a filmmaker, I had a responsibility to make sure my crew had the same infectious energy that I have.

The marriage between Western influences and Indian sensibilities in your films is the Kamal Ustaad.

Because I grew up watching his movies, I knew his taste. We were both coordinating with each other throughout this process – from first look photoshoots to getting their approval for the cast and crew. My films may have western influences, but emotions have to be rooted out. Then there should be no problem in mixing these two.

Kamal rarely indulges in ‘fan service’ in his works. Everything is written within the framework of the film and never happens in your face…

Yes. Actually, I was hesitant about the song ‘Pathala Pathala’. I love Kamal sir as a dancer but at the same time, I wanted it to have some relevance in the film. He was fine with both and we knew the song would help in terms of marketing. Ultimately it was my call and I went ahead with it.

Having said that, I have not glorified Kamal sir Vikram Because I don’t know how to do it. By fanboy I meant, there will be moments of celebration but within the film. even for masterI was very particular that I should not portray Vijay sir as a larger than life character. I wanted him to play an alcoholic and he was ready for it. Had it happened and Vijay sir wanted me to direct a ‘Mass’ film, I wouldn’t have done it because I don’t know how to do it. Vijay sir gave me that place master,

Filmmakers have said that working with a great actor makes the job easier.

I wanted to explore the action side of Kamal sir. It was a blessing to have him as a filmmaker. He was and was doing politics during the core shoot. Bigg Boss, Vikram He was just one part of the many things he was doing. But this was not the case with me as we were shooting without Sir also. He had also contracted COVID-19 in the middle of the shoot.

The main challenge before me was with Kamal sir’s part. Obviously, it was an exciting challenge. Since the film takes place in a particular timeline, he needed to maintain the character’s mood throughout. The more you explain to him what you want, the better he delivers and that too in many forms.

Which one quality do you admire in Kamal, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahad Faasil?

I had a lot of takeaways from all of them. I have great respect for Setu No done for this film. She did an acting workshop for her character and was coached by actor Pooja Deoria, who worked on her body language and pronunciation. I am the one who trusts actor’s input.

I have a lot to say about how Fahadh sir has this incredible ability to switch on and off. The moment you say a verb, it turns into something else and the focus is a surprise. There was a language barrier for Fahadh but he quickly adapted to my style of working. I had a long discussion with him about how he presents his characters.

Of course, Kamal sir is a great personality. I was surprised that when I asked him if he would like to see an edited scene, he insisted no. The reason he gave was even more shocking. He said, ‘If I look at it, I will only see flaws.’ He didn’t want my confidence to be affected. In fact, he very rarely looks at the monitor.

How was your experience directing your idol?

What I cherish most is that while in the midst of breaks, I ask him to share tales and memories, he doesn’t go to his caravan; He would sit in the chair reading on the Kindle. i will ask him how he did Michael Madna Kama Rajani And Apoorva Sagotharargali, I’m a big fan of his voice modulation and really like Michael’s voice mmkr, At an early stage of the discussion, I wanted to do a spin-off on Michael.

In VikramI have worked with my team who are also my close friends. But this was not the case with Kamal sir. He looked forward to working film sets with technicians of varying degrees of knowledge and experience. What I learned from talking to Kamal sir is that he is running a one-man relay.

Does writing come naturally to you?

Everything will be on paper except the actual choreography that will happen on the sets. I insist that the action scenes are as authentic as possible. The basic sketch of the scene will be on paper. When I told Anbariwi [stunt directors] Swami, he hugged me and said, ‘You have written everything. What more do you want from us?’

You have worked with Girish Gangadharan, who has made a name for himself for long shots.

We took long shots but due to the duration and flow, we have trimmed those scenes. In terms of visuals, I wanted Vikramcolor to match catho‘s. But that would mean I was stepping on Girish’s toes. For the second half, I told him I wanted a red volcano-like feel like the one you see in the trailer.

When you started working on ‘Vikram’, the word pan-India was yet to be coined. Was there additional pressure to market it as a pan-India product?

What is the qualification as All India? A regional language film getting a dubbed release in other languages? Or is a film being made in multiple languages ​​or a regional film doing very well in other regions? cathoFor example, was dubbed and released in Russia. I had a hard time grasping the concept. When we started this film, there was no such pressure. This pan India is purely market view and I have nothing to do with it. I am only worried that my producers are going home happy.

Suriya is playing a cameo in ‘Vikram’. Was it to get a little more push at the box office?

We didn’t realize the market aspect when we brought them with us. Till then we were promoting with the rest of the stars ( laughingWe wanted Surya sir to have a cameo surprise but the news got leaked and we were forced to make it official. This was not done to push the market. His cameo will surprise the audience. Kamal sir had announced about the possibility of expansion of this universe at the audio launch. Based on the feedback, I have some plans.

Lastly, when you made ‘Managaram’, it was a small film. There was a big star in ‘Kaithi’ and with ‘Master’ you worked with a big star. You have worked with your idol in your fourth film. What gives you confidence as a filmmaker?

I think it is the thought process, when the thought is sprouting in my mind. The enthusiasm I have and the enthusiasm I love to see in the audience is what drives me.