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The Score Magazine
before the success he had a big, devastating let down, when his previous project, the only regional movie that Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit had accepted to do, titled‘ Engineer’ was stalled and eventually shelved. When he expressed his interest to Sujatha about wanting to make the film with the‘ Pirivom Sandippom’ storyline and had given him the screenplay, the writer was only too glad to encourage the director to proceed with the project, if the appropriate producer was available to take on the venture. As the director said very clearly, it is tricky to make a novel into a movie as it has been read by millions already; unless the director did not meet most of the common expectations or mental images of readers, the movie would definitely be canned, instead of being a box-office hit. This was a unique challenge. When Aascar Ravichandran called him one day and asked him to do a movie for him, he told him that he had a story of his own scripted by writer Sujatha; He also insisted that he would only do it, if he would not be pushed into any compromise during the production; he also requested that he be allowed to have the freedom to shoot the film in the locations mentioned by the writer. Director Gandhi Krishna is full of praise for his producer, who has given him a free hand as well as supported him with total commitment through the project. He particularly likes his artistic taste and appreciation. Or as he puts it, a“ Nalla Rasikar”( a person with great aesthetic sense and taste) The movie has been shot in the same locations mentioned in the original novel, from Papanasam, Ambasamudhram and Kutralam to New Jersey and New York. His hero has no star appeal because he wanted a fresh face. That was Siddharth. Also, this being a very simple love story, without any heroism as dictated by commercial cinema, no established actors would fit the bill. His heroine Tamannah has really cooperated with great zeal. Playing a very complicated character, Tamannah has done a convincing portrayal of the same. When asked, why the director did not choose to do it as a two part movie sequel and combined both volumes into one movie script, he explained in his own simple expressions, displaying his deep understanding of the medium and the possibilities therein. He has used a flash back technique to start the movie where the story ends in the first volume, explaining the reasons for that end and starts the remaining part in the western hemisphere after the intermission. To keep the curiosity intact for the movie goers, he does not divulge any more. Asked about what some of the challenges were,“ A novel is nothing but a straight narration. But for cinematic expression one has to get creative. That’ s why I used a specific story telling technique. One line in a novel could be very visually complex, while a whole page of description could be taken in a single shot. Judicious choice in these things was very challenging. Also, filming true to the locations described in the novel, especially when the location is in the US, like JFK airport had its own challenges!” He went on to add, only when he had edited the first cut and seen the rush, it occurred to him that the story is about a girl who always listens to her parents, and a boy who does not listen to his father, that fall in love with each other. Director Gandhi Krishna has carefully picked an accomplished production team. Jeeva Shankar, a talented cameraman, GV Prakash, whom the director has known from the‘ Chikkubukku Raile’ days, has done the music and has exhibited an amazing talent beyond his age. Vairamuthu has done the lyrics which are very apt for the theme of the story. Award winning Art director Thotta Tharani has done the art and Vijayan has done the editing. Asked about his life, dreams, vision, taste of success and his continuing journey, he smiled and said that he is from a modest family and in fact was the first graduate from his village and what he has done so far is just a beginning. He hopes to make many successful movies in the years to come from him own story lines as well as taking the works of great writers such as Sujatha. This director will go very far in his journey, because he has a sense of purpose and a seriousness of pursuit.