TJ Gnanavel on Rajinikanth’s ‘Vettaiyan’: Art is a tool, a weapon… but depends on who wields it


A still from 'Vettaiyan' and director TJ Gnanavel

A still from ‘Vettaiyan’ and director TJ Gnanavel Photo Credit: Special Arrangements and Shiv Raj S

Pa for directing Rajinikanth-starrer films. Apart from Ranjith, TJ Gnanavel is probably the only two-year-old filmmaker in recent times; The filmmaker called the experience of making the film – which marks Amitabh Bachchan’s Tamil debut – aptly “surreal”.

Calling it an exciting venture, Gnanavel said, “Doing a Rajini sir film is exciting and adding stars like Amitabh sir, Rana Daggubati and Fahadh Faasil makes it even more exciting. There is also the responsibility of justifying their presence in the film and I believe we have done a good job at that.”

Some parts of the conversation:

How challenging was it to incorporate your original ideas into Rajinikanth’s film?

There is a 50 year old pattern of how a Rajini sir film should be and no one can break that mould. If you can embed your story within that pattern, it’s a win-win situation. The idea was to give an entertaining story without disappointing the fans.

I think words like ‘mass’, ‘commercial’ and ‘message’ are used from a narrow perspective. For example, Jai Bheem There were huge scenes — not for Suriya sir, but for Sengeni (Lizomal Jose). The scene where he leaves the police station features a grand orchestration recorded in a Hollywood studio. It would have been a mass theatrical moment when the film was released in theatres. I believe mass moments are not limited to actors, but scenes as well. When you have someone like Rajini sir, such moments come quite organically. For more than 50 years such scenes have come up naturally while writing scripts. Also, regardless of who is playing the lead role, every film needs heroic moments. recent Lubar Pandu It was not a superstar, but it had moments built around its main actors.

A still from 'Vettaiyan'

A still from ‘Vettaiyan’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements

How was it working with your wife B Kiruthika on the screenplay of the film?

We decided to work together before marriage; he worked Victory to Bhima As well as the screenplay. As far as collaborating with him is concerned, there’s no specific need to tell him what I’m thinking on set. During an extensive schedule, I may have to stay on the set all day and there is no need to convince my wife as she will also be by my side. We engage in frank discussions and thanks to her, I also get a new female perspective. He is also a hardcore fan of Rajini sir!

‘Kutathil Aruthan’ had a scene of custodial torture while ‘Jai Bheem’ revolved around the idea… Now ‘Vettain’ is also about a cop. What intrigues you about the police force?

Their world is much criticized and I strongly feel it needs reformation. Custodial torture has no place in a democratic, modern society and if it continues, it means we have not reached that level as a society. Custodial torture is both illegal and morally wrong. Since I come from a journalism background, I have a broad perspective on it; I have met people who have experienced this and those experiences can be reflected in my works.

During the audio launch of the film, Anirudh called ‘Vettaiyan’ very different from the kind of films he has done before. How did you do the music for this film?

Today, Anirudh is the best in creating mass moments for Rajini sir. He also understands the vibe of the audience and can deliver any style but we identify him only with the ‘Mass’ track. ‘Mansilayo’ is a huge hit but there is also a soulful track VettainCrooned by Sean Roldan, for which Oni did a wonderful job. I remember asking him why he doesn’t do such songs in all his films and he said he doesn’t get such films!

How did it feel to see Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan in the same frame for the first time?

It was a surreal moment (smile) It only hit me when I realized it was being recorded and they started and stopped when I said “action” and “cut”! Seeing them alone is exciting in itself… so I don’t have words to describe how it feels to see them together. I’m glad they were able to recreate the magic after 38 years of reuniting, and I’m proud that it happened in this film.

A still from 'Vettaiyan'

A still from ‘Vettaiyan’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements

While it is nice to see talent from different industries acting in one film, there are also criticisms that its sole purpose is to market the film in various markets across India…

I think that criticism is right but so far Vettain Concerned, I’d ask you to hold off on criticism until you’ve seen the film. Initially there was no thought of making a pan-Indian film; From the moment Rajini sir came on board, what became one. But there were certain character demands in the story. When I wrote a character for Amitabh Bachchan sir, Rajini sir told me that it had been years since they worked together and despite many filmmakers trying, they had never collaborated on a project. I told him I wanted to try to make it happen, and was able to convince Bachchan sir that he would be perfect as Satyadev.

The same happened to Rana and Fahad; They were not brought on board because they come from different industries but I thought they would be perfect for these characters. I also believe that artists should not be limited by boundaries. When I see Iran’s picture or movie CapernaumIt’s all about understanding emotions, and not language. We believe we have justified their presence because we are aware of how it can backfire if the actors are not well represented.

Do you believe that movies can bring about social change?

I think films can spark change; I don’t see them as a one-stop solution. i made Jai Bheem Hopefully it will instill in the audience a thought about the horrors around them and a sense of guilt for not remedying it. Did the film change anything overnight and did the Irula community get their due? The answer is no. But I believe the film is a step towards that. Moreover, it documented events that would be available for viewing decades later.

Art is a tool, a weapon.. depending on who wields it. That’s why we have sensor boards. This is why we have statutory warnings; Foreign films don’t have them, but our society needs them. Everything needs to be broken down for it to reach everyone.

It seems that ‘Vettain’ is against the idea of ​​encounter killing, while Rajinikanth did ‘Darbar’ a few years ago where he is a cop who goes on a killing spree. Do the filmmakers need an actor to share their ideology or can they be actors who accept the role they are given?

. At the end of the day, cinema is a craft and that’s why I don’t believe I’m here to preach. I’m just narrating a story in hopes that I do it right in my art form. I don’t need or expect everyone to conform to my ideology. An artist can play any role; What matters is whether they pull what they are given.

Vetaiyan will release in theaters on October 10



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