It is almost 20 years since director Sundar C made his debut in the Tamil film industry, but he is still going strong. With two hits in a row, Kalakalappu (2012) and Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru (2013), expectations are high for his latest venture, Aranmanai.
Aranmanai is a supernatural thriller with an ensemble cast that includes Hansika Motwani, Andrea Jeremiah, Lakshmi Rai, Vinay Rai, Nithin Sathya, Santhanam, Kovai Sarala, Manobala and Sundar C himself.
Distributed by Udhayanidhi Stalin's Red Giant Movies, the film will hit the screens this weekend.
For years, Sundar C has been relentlessly churning out mass entertainers with an abundance of comedy, making him one of the most successful directors today.
In this interview with rediff.com, he speaks about getting out of his comfort zone and attempting a new genre that he believes will appeal to the audience.
What inspired you to make a horror comedy?
I would say that my family inspired this new genre.
Whenever we planned get-togethers with family and friends at home, it invariably ended with a movie at the Home Theatre. I noticed that everyone, including women and children, enjoyed a good horror thriller, especially those that were packed with plenty of humour.
It was quite surprising. I had always thought that men were bigger fans of horror movies, and that the rest of the family would not be interested. But they seemed to be so completely hooked that it got me thinking.
I decided to make a horror film in my style. I am sure people will enjoy Aranmanai
Tell us something about the film.
Aranmanai is a supernatural thriller with a good bit of humour.
For someone who has worked mostly on breezy, mass entertainers, creating a script for a horror comedy was a totally novel experience, and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
I felt like a child, who has been given a new toy to play with. It was also incredibly challenging, but the film has turned out well - a good script with a great cast.
Have you focused more on horror than comedy?
It is a perfect mix of both.
If the entire film is just horror, or only comedy, then it will get boring. Besides, people expect a certain humour quotient from my film, so I have focused equally on both aspects.
You mentioned the film was challenging...
If you decide on a full-length horror flick, you can focus totally on building up the fear. It is easier to keep adding elements of fear to a scene, but to alternate it with humour is not easy.
The challenge for me was to give the audience a little bit of everything. So I had to compromise on the footage that evoked fear. And within that space I had to create the atmosphere of the film.
Also, I decided that I will not evoke fear unrealistically – pounding on doors, a cat suddenly pouncing on you out of nowhere, or endless unnecessary shrieking.
I didn’t want any clichés; the fear in my film must be genuine. It will genuinely scare the audience. That was one of the biggest challenges.
The script also was a challenge. The entire second half takes place in just a day. I had to ensure that the screenplay was spot on; it had to be interesting.
There were so many elements, the underlying fear, the funny bits, a few songs, building the tension, sustaining the thrill, everything was a challenge.
Does the film involve a lot of computer graphics?
This too was a new experience for me.
My shooting schedule is always well planned, I usually wrap up in about three months. I completed the shoot for Aranmanai in January, but the CGI work took almost seven to eight months.
There is extensive use of CGI in the film, but it is very unobtrusive, we have taken care to blend it perfectly into the scenes.
The CGI is based on the five basic elements, the Pancha Boothas - water, land, fire, wind, and sky.
There are many beautiful women in the cast - Hansika, Andrea and Raai Laxmi. Were there ego clashes on the sets?
I have not added characters just for publicity but because my script needed them. Every character is well etched with an individuality of their own.
There are all thorough professionals, so there was never any question of ego clashes. Before the shooting commenced, everybody knew and understood exactly what was required from them.
Everyone was friendly; we had a great time on the sets. The film does not focus or revolve around any one particular person, there are many significant characters and everyone has their own importance
What is Hansika's role in the film?
Hansika is one of the top heroines today and this is not a role that someone of her calibre would easily agree to. It is a totally performance-oriented character minus the ultra-glamorous image that is such an essential part of who she is.
But Hansika was game for it. Though it was quite a challenge to realistically depict her as a village girl, she came out with flying colors.
She has performed superbly, people will definitely enjoy this new look.
Santhanam seems to have become a regular feature in your films.
Santhanam is one of my favourite actors. He is very dedicated. Our combination has always worked out great.
But today Santhanam is not just a comedy actor, he is a hero too. I really appreciate his taking the time to work with me; it shows his belief in me.
Is the Aranmanai palace in the film a set or a real palace?
The Aranmanai palace plays a significant role and is a major character in the film. We hunted everywhere for the perfect location. We even travelled to Udaipur and Jaipur but were not satisfied.
Finally we found a set in Hyderabad, but it was just a skeletal structure. We spent a huge fortune on renovating it, especially the interiors.
I really have to thank my producers for giving me complete freedom and the budget to work on what I needed.
How confident are you that this new genre will work for you?
I am keeping my fingers crossed. I have moved out of my comfort zone for this film. I have given it my best shot.
I truly believe it has come out well. If the audience also likes it, it will be a big encouragement and boost for me to try different genres.
Are you planning a sequel?
I am very eager to do a sequel.
If the movie is a hit, I will immediately start on a sequel. I already have a nice idea, just waiting for the 19th.
