Sasikumar joins hands with Samuthirakani again

Three years ago, from nowhere, Sasikumar burst onto the Tamil film scene with Subramaniapuram, which was set in the Madurai of the 1980s. The film became a landmark in the history of Tamil cinema for its realistic and hard-hitting portrayal of events and characters.

Sasikumar was not only the director of the film but an actor and producer too, not because he wanted to but for want of an actor and producer, he took over those roles too.

After Subramaniapuram, he was producer for Pasanga directed by Pandiraj. He decided to produce the film, he had said, because "After Mani Ratnam's Anjali, not a single film has been made for children in Tamil. Therefore, it was my desire to make a film for them. When Pandiaraj narrated the story through Kathir (the cinematographer of Subramaniapuram), I felt as if my dream had come true. It was a beautiful, touching story."

The film went on to win a National Award.

Next we saw Sasikumar as an actor in Nadodigal directed by his friend, Samuthirakani. He became a reluctant actor and a willing producer for the film.

Samuthirakani had been showing the script of Nadidigal tovarious producers but no one was willing to take it on. After reading the script, Sasikumar said he would produce it. But Samuthirakani did not want to burden his friend, who was already suffering by producing Subramaniapuram, so he asked Sasikumar to act instead in the main role.

Nadodigal was very well received by both critics and audiences and remade in other south Indian languages.

Sasikumar's second directorial venture, Eesan, with Samuthirakani in the lead role as a cop, was not received well by critics or audiences.

Expectations are high now that Samuthirakani and Sasikumar are joining hands again in Poraali. This time, Sasikumar is being directed by Samuthirakani! He is also the producer of the film.

Sasikumar insists, that of the many hats he may wear, he is "first and last" a director.

"The producer and the actor in me came into being only after the director. The most important thing in my life is being a writer and a director. I came into the industry to be a director and I will always be one. The other things are incidental," he says.