Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Suave, sophisticated and edgy filmmaker Gautham Menon is on the hot seat with Kollywood’s young actor-director, Silambarasan. The duo snatch a few moments from the ongoing schedule of their film, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya, and talk straight-from-the-heart as Rashmi Devadasan records
GM TO SIMBU I like your father's earlier films; the songs in it had an almost cult-like status. How is it for you? Are you entirely on your own?
I was always with him while I was growing up. It was very exciting as a child to watch the entire process of filmmaking. But when I made Manmadhan, I created it entirely in my own style. I did tell him what I was doing and he gave me his own inputs.
Why is the portrayal of women in your films so negative? Are you anti women?
People often assume that I'm against women, the reality is I love them too much. The men in my films come back to take on the women in their lives. I don't believe in telling regular, stereotypical love stories.
Talking about love stories and women, you have a reputation of being a playboy. Do you like that?
Frankly, I don't think I'm a playboy. In fact, I didn’t even have girls as friends until I was in high school. So when I fell in love, I ended up being very possessive. Now, I'm at a stage in my life where nothing really matters to me; I can handle what comes my way and move on…
"People often assume that I'm against women, the reality is I love them too much”
Simbu
Tell us something about the music you make. Where's the Party Tonight from Silambaattam, for instance, is a rage.
It's a simple rule - people have to relate to the music. It needs to be neat and straight-forward. I don't understand why a hero who is speaking normally suddenly breaks into a song with unrelatable lyrics. That's not how we speak; that's not how we sing.
Your film repertoire is very interesting; you have the ability to handle many kinds of scripts. How do you do that? And why did you first make a film like Minnale?
Honestly, the first script I worked on was Kaakha Kaakha; I was at a point in my career where I had not got enough recognition. I decided that when I'd make Kaakha Kaakha, it would be exactly the way I want it to be. And it was. Kamal Sir called me soon after the film and appreciated me for it. It was definitely a high point in my career.
Your films somehow are city-based. Don't you want to make a film for the masses?
I don't consciously make my films look urban. I went to college in Trichy (Mookambika Engineering College) and all around me were youngsters from rural Tamil Nadu who were aspiring to become urban; my movies are meant for all of them.
Your characters speak a lot of English in the films; do you do that on purpose?
Well, because personally in the cultural milieu that I grew up in, we spoke a lot of English. But I can also say with conviction that the English language has seeped in a great deal into our lives. Am I hoping to change that? I'm not sure. I think it suits the characters on screen.
"Love is more complete if the girl withers away; it makes love more perfect, doesn't it?
- Gautham Menon"
You have worked with Maddy, Suriya and Kamal Sir; why did you want Simbu?
You know we've been talking about it for a while now. Plus, I really wanted to make an out-and-out commercial film. It helps that there are some women who watch my films and some who watch yours. It's a feel-good script; it's a collaborative effort. That's exactly why I came to you.
Irrespective of the genre of the film, there's always a love episode in your film that carries it to the next level. Were you always in love?
I'm a sucker for love. I like the idea of love, especially in films. Plus, all my love stories are drawn from life; even in my current project, the lead actor is a girl I knew.
Thanks : Times of India
I was always with him while I was growing up. It was very exciting as a child to watch the entire process of filmmaking. But when I made Manmadhan, I created it entirely in my own style. I did tell him what I was doing and he gave me his own inputs.
Why is the portrayal of women in your films so negative? Are you anti women?
People often assume that I'm against women, the reality is I love them too much. The men in my films come back to take on the women in their lives. I don't believe in telling regular, stereotypical love stories.
Talking about love stories and women, you have a reputation of being a playboy. Do you like that?
Frankly, I don't think I'm a playboy. In fact, I didn’t even have girls as friends until I was in high school. So when I fell in love, I ended up being very possessive. Now, I'm at a stage in my life where nothing really matters to me; I can handle what comes my way and move on…
"People often assume that I'm against women, the reality is I love them too much”
Simbu
Tell us something about the music you make. Where's the Party Tonight from Silambaattam, for instance, is a rage.
It's a simple rule - people have to relate to the music. It needs to be neat and straight-forward. I don't understand why a hero who is speaking normally suddenly breaks into a song with unrelatable lyrics. That's not how we speak; that's not how we sing.
Your film repertoire is very interesting; you have the ability to handle many kinds of scripts. How do you do that? And why did you first make a film like Minnale?
Honestly, the first script I worked on was Kaakha Kaakha; I was at a point in my career where I had not got enough recognition. I decided that when I'd make Kaakha Kaakha, it would be exactly the way I want it to be. And it was. Kamal Sir called me soon after the film and appreciated me for it. It was definitely a high point in my career.
Your films somehow are city-based. Don't you want to make a film for the masses?
I don't consciously make my films look urban. I went to college in Trichy (Mookambika Engineering College) and all around me were youngsters from rural Tamil Nadu who were aspiring to become urban; my movies are meant for all of them.
Your characters speak a lot of English in the films; do you do that on purpose?
Well, because personally in the cultural milieu that I grew up in, we spoke a lot of English. But I can also say with conviction that the English language has seeped in a great deal into our lives. Am I hoping to change that? I'm not sure. I think it suits the characters on screen.
"Love is more complete if the girl withers away; it makes love more perfect, doesn't it?
- Gautham Menon"
You have worked with Maddy, Suriya and Kamal Sir; why did you want Simbu?
You know we've been talking about it for a while now. Plus, I really wanted to make an out-and-out commercial film. It helps that there are some women who watch my films and some who watch yours. It's a feel-good script; it's a collaborative effort. That's exactly why I came to you.
Irrespective of the genre of the film, there's always a love episode in your film that carries it to the next level. Were you always in love?
I'm a sucker for love. I like the idea of love, especially in films. Plus, all my love stories are drawn from life; even in my current project, the lead actor is a girl I knew.
Thanks : Times of India
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