Manikandan Interview: “Kuttrame Thandanai is not for entertainment seekers”
After earning glowing reviews and also registering big box-office success with his first film Kaaka Muttai, director Manikandan is ready for the release of his second film, Kuttrame Thandanai starring Vidharth in the lead role and also produced by him. The film has received great reception in film festivals held in Mumbai, New York, Kerala and London. The film has Anand Annamalai’s story and Manikandan has written the screenplay. It is not related to the novel ‘Crime and Punishment’ but Mani says that the film will feel like a novel treated in a cinematic way. He expresses in detail about the film to Kaushik LM in this interview,
“Kuttrame Thandanai is for a niche, mature audience who are exposed to festival films. Though it will be slow paced, it will have a progressive screenplay. It is not for the casual, entertainment seekers.
There is no need for a hero-heroine in this film, which has no typical elements like romance, comedy and drama. A murder will happen without any build-up and how the characters react and approach this murder is the film’s plot. It is not about who committed the murder.
Kuttrame Thandanai was shot in just 33 days, despite being done at a relaxed pace. I always spend a lot of time on the pre-production part. The protagonist has tunnel vision problem. But such people are very normal in real life and appear very normal with their activities. We have portrayed this condition naturally without any drama.”
About having Isaignani Ilayaraja on board …
“My film will always decide the cast and crew working on it. It isn’t a dream as such, but I always wanted to work with him. No one can escape his music and songs in our state and it was a part of my growing up years too. This film needed Raja sir, no one else could have done justice to it. He has sealed the film with his music from the start to end. It is a very seamless score, with apt use of silence.
He is very inquisitive and particular about the shots and has great memory. The 3 mins title score will actually convey the film’s pace and mood. If you like that segment, you’ll like the film too. This is not his best work but it is like a small poem penned by him.”
Raja sir’s inspiring work ethic …
“Despite having worked on 1000+ films, he has great timing sense and is efficient without a fault. He doesn’t indulge in any needless talks and sincerely respects the director and works for him. That’s something that I took back from this working experience with him.”
Aishwarya Rajesh’s defining role in the film …
“Pooja Devariya has played a simple, innocent, likable character. She stands out as the lone soft character in the film. Aishwarya Rajesh has done a cameo, and her role defines the film’s flow. 4 to 5 heroines actually refused this role before she took it up eventually. All of them have delivered neat performances without overdoing it. Their acting is also non-verbal and it’s not always through dialogues.”
Fox Star Studios perfectly planned the release of Kaaka Muttai and took it to the nook and corners of the world. But Kuttrame Thandanai has a very low-key release in comparison. Your comments?
“I agree that it’s not the ideal release time for the film. The audience should have been prepared and readied for this experience but that’s how the industry is. It is not a level playing field, with big films coming along with small budgeted ones. Money dictates this market. Kaaka Muttai had major backing from the likes of Dhanush, Vetri Maaran and Fox Star. That’s a weakness here but Kuttrame Thandanai will stand on its own merits.”
“The film has been rated U/A for its theme. Just a few cuss words had to be removed. There is no glorification of blood and violence, and families can definitely come and see the film.”, signs off Manikandan on a positive note.
Interviewed by Kaushik LM
