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Magizh Thirumeni Interview: ‘Vidamuyarchi’ stars Ajith Kumar we all want to see on screen

When filmmaker Magizh Thirumeni sits down with us for another conversation, this time on videoHe seems eager to address all the things that have been weighing on him for the past few weeks. A lot has happened since he last spoke to us, which was just hours before it was announced VidamuyarchiHis long-awaited action-thriller starring Ajith Kumar had to be postponed his plans to release during Pongal. A collective fan poured out his heart on social media; Remember, they’ve been waiting a long time to get their superstar under the direction of Maggis, and they were hoping for a trailer, not a postponement notice.

“I was feeling quite disappointed. Everyone including Laika Productions was upset and it took us a day or two to get out of it. However, we all understood the reasons behind this, and the producers made a concerted, honest effort to ensure that this did not happen,” says Magee. Plus, in our interview the filmmakers had a lot to say about what to prepare audiences for what awaits them — like, how it was Star who provided the source material, and why it’s different from anything the two of them have done before. Not there. Career – Misunderstood as, say, the Magpies justified a poor product being made. This, as Magis states in a shocking revelation, is not an isolated incident, but a series of efforts by a certain group that has targeted the project since its inception.

Any other filmmaker working on any other project could have buckled under such pressure. Thankfully, Magizh got a pillar of support in the form of Ajith Kumar. Hear what the star had to say about the postponement, and it’s nothing short of blockbuster fan service: “Don’t feel bad Maggies. So what if our film doesn’t release on a festival day? The release day of our film will become a day of celebration,” Ajith told him, as quoted by the director. “Not only was he aware of the negativity we were subjected to, but he was also one of the few people who stood by me,” says Maggis. He further said that the star has assured him of more cooperation in future.

Trisha, Ajith Kumar and Magizh Thirumeni on the sets of 'Vidamuyarchi'

Trisha, Ajith Kumar and Magizh Thirumeni on the sets of ‘Vidamuyarchi’. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Some excerpts:,

Despite the postponement, we saw Ajith Kumar in a different avatar during the Pongal week: as a racecar driver. More than his victory, his dedicated effort towards his passion is seen as an inspirational message for the youth. What is your opinion on this?

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Absolutely. Due to this he has also got a lot of goodwill. So, Ajit sir informed us about his return to racing months ago. We were all ready for this. A few weeks before I left for the race, when we were finishing shooting our film, he said to me, ‘Maggies, when I go to run this race, anything can happen, which is why I want to complete all my film commitments. , Because there are so many people who have trusted me, two producers have invested money by trusting me, and so many people have put in their hard work for these films. When I come back to the racing circuit and step on the accelerator, I have to press it 100%; If I only push 90% I won’t be able to do justice to the race. Just because I have two incomplete films, I can’t keep it safe. I don’t want to do that, because anything can happen. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. When he is engaged in something, he devotes himself to it wholeheartedly.

You had earlier said that you are not at liberty to say if ‘Vidamuyarchi’ is a remake of the 1997 Kurt Russell film ‘Breakdown’. However, there is a lot of speculation regarding this, especially after the postponement…

I am not at a place where I can talk about it, not because I want to hide things, but because of certain facts that the production house has asked me not to talk about. They have good and justified reasons for asking this. what i can say is this Vidamuyarchi The film is approximately two and a half hours long; I believe that says a lot about it. There is a lot of original material in this story.

One thing I can promise you is this – we will see the Ajith Kumar we all want to see on screen VidamuyarchiBeautiful, charming and gentle. After a long time, he has a proper romantic track in a film. I can promise a fascinating, entertaining two and a half hours.

Magizh Thirumeni and Ajith Kumar on the sets of 'Vidamuyarchi'

Magizh Thirumeni and Ajith Kumar on the sets of ‘Vidamuyarchi’. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

You had said how unconventional Ajith wanted this film to be, and he said it was time for both of you to step out of your comfort zone; What do you think inspired the superstar to take this turn into experimental territory?

I wouldn’t say it’s 100% an experimental film; It is a mainstream commercial film. It’s just that this is not the usual mass masala film with typical hero introduction shots, punchy dialogues and a grand action spectacle towards the intermission.

What Ajit sir has done is unimaginable. He has done something which will raise questions on his own image. Very few A-listers dare to do this, and he is leading the charge. He has challenged his stardom and his larger than life image at every opportunity. I believe the answer lies in the respect he has for the audience. How long will we continue to feed our audience things that are far from reality? Did they say they will only see the hero who blows 20-30 men into the air? Did he say he would only watch misogynistic films? Absolutely not. They expect good, logical and sensible films. This is the respect he shows towards the audience and his fans.

He has definite views about what is happening in our society. He is looking at the prevalent misogyny and crimes against women. He said, ‘It is time for payback. All stories are told from the male perspective; Let’s sort it out and raise questions on it. He told all of us, including the technicians, that this would be one of the most remarkable films of all our careers. After watching the film, he said that it was better than his imagination and he wanted to continue doing similar films.

Magizh Thirumeni

Magizh Thirumeni | Photo Courtesy: Shiv Raj S

The trailer of ‘Vidamuyarchi’ hints at some of the antagonists. In your previous films like ‘Thadaiyara Thaakka’, ‘Meghaman’ and ‘Kalaga Thalaivan’, you tried to rationalize the antagonists with a flashback or a dialogue about how they became evil animals. Do the norms of commercial filmmaking, that a hero cannot be an anti-hero and a villain must be dangerous, restrict you?

This cannot be avoided, as films are for public consumption. Certainly, there has been growth in the audience profile across India. But it is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that the investments of producers are protected. So there come moments when you have to play to the gallery. I’m trying to move slowly, to get my films as close to reality as possible.

I am doing genre films, mostly under the thriller genre. There is a template for the thriller genre and I have not yet reached the point where I can break that template even further. I am now at a place where I have to hold the audience’s attention throughout the film. So although I have to work within a template, I try to make the characters real. That’s why I delve deeper into why a character is a certain way, what their impulses are and what motivates them to do what they do. I believe this is the respect I am showing the audience.

Most of these antagonists – from Harish Uthaman in ‘Meghman’ to Arav in ‘Kalaga Thalaivan’ – also use physical torture as a means to break a person psychologically and get a confession from him…

He comes only because the story demands it. It’s not because I’ve gone through anything like this or because I’ve seen people go through anything like this. In Kalaga ThalaivanFor example, it is about exposing what is hidden in the corporate setup. It happened there naturally. In fact, I firmly adhere to the adage that says ‘Once your script is complete, you have to kill your loved ones.’ This means that a writer needs to eliminate shots and scenes that he or she may have added to his or her ego, or to show off his or her acumen; These aspects may not be essential to the story. I always try to follow this instruction.

Magizh Thirumeni

Magizh Thirumeni | Photo Courtesy: Shiv Raj S/The Hindu

Are you also a fan of Vighnahartas? Most of your heroes are vigilantes.

(laughs) I like heroes. A hero is not the one who can compete with 100 people; A hero is someone who stands up for the truth, no matter what the cost. These are the people who inspire me. A few years ago, there was a whistleblower in Pondicherry who was killed for exposing the cover-up. His father was also murdered. From the bottom of my heart, I can name more than a dozen such examples across India. These are the people who spoke the truth, exposed scams and paid the price with their lives. These are the people from whom I take inspiration. I believe it is the storyteller’s duty to sing the unsung heroes.

Over the past few years, the action genre has reached saturation point among audiences across India…

I wouldn’t call myself an action filmmaker, although I’m considered one. It’s just that whenever any hero or producer comes to me, they want me to do an action film. I see myself as a filmmaker; I want to do films of every genre. Now, only those film genres that redefine themselves after a certain point will survive in the long run. The action genre isn’t inferior; It is a genre that began with the silent film era. In every era, an action filmmaker will enter and redefine the action genre. When people get tired of seeing the same star-driven action extravaganza, a filmmaker emerges to do something innovative within that format. Therefore this style will always survive.

You said that your next film is a commercial action film. Let’s say, there’s a big star project a little outside your field, where you may have to work within restrictions; Then there’s a movie with a little star, ready to come to your area. Which one would you like?

(laughing) You’re asking me to be very honest, but I’ll take the bait. I would choose one where I can tell the story in the way I like. That’s how I have been. while i was writing Thadaiyara Thakka, Two big actors wanted me to wait. Initially, I even waited for a month, but they were very busy, and I had a script ready; So I started making it. while making thudWe discussed it with Arun Vijay and he agreed to be a part of it. A day before he was to officially sign the project, I got a call from a big star who wanted me to do a film with him under Lyca Productions. I didn’t get any advance for the project at that time, so I could have made that film for Laika and I could have demanded a much bigger pay cheque. But because I had expressed my views to the other producer and Arun Vijay, I went ahead and did the film with him. That’s the kind of filmmaker I am. Also, I want to work with well-known stars and I believe my next film will also be like that.

Vidamuyarchi is set to release in theaters on February 6.

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