It’s heartening to hear a director declare that banning harsh reviews or critics isn’t a wise move. Recently, a section of Tamil producers called for a ban of harsh reviews claiming that such scathing verdicts harmed and damaged their films irrevocably.
But ‘Kadaram Kondan’ director Rajesh M Selva, whose Tamil-language action thriller is out now in the UAE, believes that a film doesn’t fail because of negative reviews. They fail due to other factors.
“Stopping an individual from reviewing films will not solve the problem. I don’t think stopping reviews will change the film’s fate... The film’s fate is decided from its prepping stage itself. And its success depends on how much time you spend on the script and planning,” said Selva in an interview with Gulf News tabloid!. According to Selva, who directed Chiyaan Vikram in his latest action thriller, getting a producer who’s a committed cinephile and not just a financier will help a film tremendously.
Before you head to the cinemas, here are five things to know about his film…
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT KADARAM KONDAN:
1. If you find dark, brooding men interesting, then this film is right up your street. South Indian actor Chiyaan Vikram plays KK, a mysterious, brawny man with a murky past. His life is as complicated as the tattoos that he sports.
“There are several shades of grey in this guy. What was interesting for me was that I had to be menacing and I don’t speak too much. I had to be subtle and rely on my body language a lot. There’s something unpredictable about this guy,” Vikram told Gulf News tabloid!. “He’s unpredictable, but is incredibly sure about what he wants to do.”
“I think I am an antagonist... He’s cool and cold,” he adds.
‘Kadaram Kondan’ director Selva, in a separate interview, claims that KK’s identity and purpose will reveal itself only after the first 40 minutes into the drama.
“You will discover more about his character though the eyes of Abi Mehdi Haasan, who will serve as the eyes for the viewers,” said Selva.
2. While the story is being kept under wraps, the trailer indicates that KK is a fugitive, a man on the run in Malaysia. Chiyaan Vikram was intent on making his character look mean and dangerous. He has no fear of alienating his viewers by his villainy.
“Look at films like ‘Darr’ or ‘Baazigar’, the more cold-blooded they were, the more you like them. You were rooting for Shah Rukh Khan’s character... So even though KK is negative, you will like him. Liking an antagonist may seem like a paradox, but that’s what I have tried to do with my character. My whole intention was to make him seem lethally dangerous. It was like walking on a tight rope,” said Vikram.
3. ‘Kadaram Kondan’ was shot extensively in Malaysia and is set in that bustling metropolis. While it was a logistical nightmare for director Selva and team, they powered through the action sequences that involved car chases and explosions.
“It required a lot of planning in the pre-production stages. We began in 2017 and I went there-four times with my technical and other teams to get everything in order. We rehearsed on separate grounds before our car chases on real time in those streets.”
4. South Indian superstar and politician Kamal Haasan, who produced this film under his banner Raj Kamal Films International, was the original choice to play the lead. But due to time constraints, the role was offered to Chiyaan Vikram. Both Vikram and Selva speak highly of their producer-actor. According to them, Haasan is a hands-off producer who gives them complete creative freedom.
“Kamal sir is an actor par excellence. And as a producer he is respectful … He appreciates good work and he had some nice things to say about the way I played my character.”
5. Chiyaan Vikram hasn’t used a stunt double for this film. The actor said that he rarely uses stunt doubles in his films as he alters his physical shape and diet as per roles and no stunt man can keep up with those altering shapes.
“But there is no fear as you just forget everything while doing stunts. I am very careful and not irrational while driving cars or bikes. I practice a lot... Here, I wasn’t playing a hero who beats up people. I had to be slammed into walls, cupboards and tables. I had to take nasty falls... But it looks real.”
Quote-Unquote
I consider him my guru, but I don’t know whether he considers me his shishya [student] though … He has a great trust in me,” said director Rajesh M Selva on his high-profile producer Kamal Haasan.
Don’t Miss It!
‘Kadaram Kondan’ is out in the UAE on July 18.
