Director Gokul Interview: “Indian VFX companies are far better and ahead, compared to foreign ones”
Out of the 200+ Tamil films which release every year, very few stand out as genuinely different products. Director Gokul’s multi-genre Kaashmora most definitely falls in this elite list. Made on a lavish scale by Dream Warrior Pictures, Kaashmora is ready for its grand worldwide release tomorrow. In this interview with Kaushik LM, Gokul opens up about this exciting flick.
Kaashmora is a marked transition for you from Idharkuthaane Aasaipattai Balakumara and Rowthiram …
“I don’t want to repeat genres. Be it Rowthram, Balakumara or Kaashmora now, they are all different from one another. I don’t want to get stuck in the same space. An idea has to excite me before I can proceed with it. I wanted to try something new and saw Kaashmora as a challenge. It wasn’t a deliberate move to shift genres, I just wanted to attempt something with a lot of passion.”
Industry seniors like Kamal sir have advocated extensive pre-production time. Guess Kaashmora was one such film which would have required a lot of pre-production and planning …
“I am a huge fan of Kamal sir. Almost 20 years back, he started Marudhanayagam but unfortunately couldn’t complete it. He has always been ahead of time and would have become India’s undisputed No.1 if Marudhanayagam had been successfully completed. The trailer cut was astounding back then itself, with the limited facilities and references at Kamal sir’s disposal.
Answering the question, Yes, we spent a lot of time on pre-production. The producers were also very strong in planning and they kept the budget under control. I learnt a lot from them about these aspects. They didn’t compromise on grandeur, but avoided wastage too.”
Handling such a big scale, established actors and a budget of more than 50 crores must have been pressurizing right?
“I didn’t feel any pressure because, as a director, I was completely confident and then only stepped into this film. I was aware of the magnitude of the task and banked on my knowledge in VFX and cinematography. I had learnt graphics, animation and multimedia during my college days, and was a still photographer before becoming a director. My earlier films didn’t offer me a wide scope and didn’t need all these skills. Since Kaashmora had lots of fantasy, I used all my ideas and the knowledge that I had acquired. When I narrated the script, the team also got the required confidence. I kept proving myself in all the different departments, be it set design or costumes. We also did extensive previs, due to the number of VFX shots involved. All this added to the team’s confidence.”
But the move to prepone the release of the film to Diwali must have burdened your entire team …
“Yes, it was a tremendous workload due to the number of VFX shots (2000) and the complications involved. Around June when we came to know of the Diwali plan, it seemed like an impossible deadline to meet but the producers felt that Diwali was the best slot for a film like this. Then we had no other go but to work and finish the film. We divided the VFX work among 25 companies, with iGene being the main player. Not more than 4 mins of footage was given to each company and we also had our backup options in place. The past 10 days have been really hectic. That’s why we are able to release the film for Diwali, as planned. It’s been day and night work for all of us and I am used to sleepless nights now.
Importantly, 17 of these 25 were Indian companies and I would say that our technicians are far better and ahead, compared to foreign technicians. Be it their speed or their response to corrections and modifications, there were no excuses from their end. Neither did they demand a higher budget. Guess, us Indians are emotionally driven towards the best possible output.
I wouldn’t say that we have delivered a flawless product. There have been few unavoidable compromises but with the given time and available resources, we’ve delivered the best. When it comes to VFX, more the time, better the output. We can achieve the best standards, provided there is ample time. I have more confidence to handle such a fantasy film again, provided Kaashmora’s result is positive too.”
Karthi is known to be a spontaneous actor. How was the going with him in three different parts?
“My body language and acting style were easily grasped by Karthi and it was very easy to work with him. After Vijay Sethupathi, I felt really comfortable with Karthi. Among the 3 makeovers, the Kaashmora character has lots of dimensions, and Karthi had to react to many situations. It is not easy, but he pulled it off. He has gone beyond his usual spontaneous style and it was something new for me too. Sivaji sir’s influence in historical characters is very strong but both of us tried to do something different and kept interacting a lot, to this effect.
And, I worked extensively for the costumes. In the beginning, I had been to Bulgaria for a location recce as we were supposed to shoot the war scenes there. I saw some really authentic, high quality war costumes there, and they were also available for hire. But we found out the material that was used and worked on the costumes to make them suitable for our sensibilities. This took more time.
When Karthi went to shoot for Thozha, I was working on the costumes. He trusted me completely with his 3 different looks. It would be like three different people performing, be it the walk, body language or expressions. Karthi also didn’t want his usual self to come out.”
When we prodded him to reveal a bit about the completely guarded third character, Gokul didn’t budge, “I won’t reveal that suspense about his third character. It’ll anyway get opened during the first show, early on in the 2nd half. I believe that it will surprise all of you. Enormous efforts have gone into that part.”
Nayanthara’s screen presence and swag in regal costumes is seen as a highlight of your film …
“Nayanthara’s impact will be felt even after you walk out of the film, even though she would be there for only 30 mins. The princess character 
that she has played is arrogant, proud and of course beautiful. All these elements were finely balanced because of Nayanthara’s presence. Her character would be strong throughout.”
With respect to fantasy films, how do you see the benchmark set by Baahubali? Last year, the result of Vijay’s fantasy experiment Puli was adversely impacted by the Baahubali phenomenon. People felt that it could have had a better run without the Baahubali cloud hanging over it.
“This benchmark is a positive factor actually. We could do at least half of what they did because we tried to match their levels. Their scale and resources are different but technically we’ve tried to keep the historical portions as flawless as possible. The trailer’s output is proof enough. But apart from the historical portions, I strongly believe that we also have something else to entertain people.”
What next after Kaashmora? Part 2 of Balakumara is already being rumored out …
“Vijay Sethupathi is my darling and we are the best of friends. Both of us are mutually ready for another film together, whether it’s Balakumara 2 or not. I don’t know how he’ll fit this film in, given his packed schedule, but he said he’ll come as soon as I call him. That’s the kind of understanding we share. But it all depends on circumstances.”
Best wishes for a rousing run with Kaashmora, Gokul.
Interviewed by Kaushik LM