It is not without reason that A. R. Murugadoss is today one of India’s most sought-after directors. Blessed with a fine sense of observation and the courage to will his dreams into reality, Murugadoss has risen from being nowhere to being right at the top. The man, who has earmarked a space for himself in three of the country’s biggest film industries, is now ready with his next film Thuppakki , which stars Vijay and Kajal Aggarwal in the lead. Known to pose important questions to society through his films, does Murugadoss have the answers to questions posed back to him? Read on to find out…
About the film
It is an action thriller which will also have an equal dose of romance. As far as I am concerned, there are two kinds of films. The first is the one in which I want to convey a message to the audience. Then, there is the other kind which is an out-and-out entertainer. For instance, if you look at the story of Ghajini , there was nothing special about it. It was a simple revenge story but narrated in an interesting manner. Thuppakki is a film that falls in this category. The film will also have a comedy track throughout and my intention is to get audiences to see this film at least twice or thrice — in short, I am looking for repeat audiences.
The focus
The film will send out a warning and will draw attention to how oblivious we are to the dangerous circumstances we live in.
On plagiarism
There have been allegations that a poster of Thuppakki resembles the poster of the famous English film, An Officer and a Gentleman . “I admit my film’s stills resemble the English film’s poster. Sometimes, you admire something so much that sub-consciously it becomes a part of your work.”
The spark behind Thuppakki
When our celebrities are detained at airports abroad, we are outraged. In my opinion, nobody is above the law.
Why haven’t we learnt lessons from governments of certain countries? The Indian Government should enforce rules stringently. This set me thinking.
Remuneration issue
S.A. Chandrasekhar, during the audio launch of the film, had disclosed that Murugadoss had demanded a huge sum for directing the film.
Does he think it is right on the part of the directors to demand such huge sums at a time when the film industry is going through a difficult phase?
“If I am approached by three producers to make films for them, it is only natural that I will opt for the one offering me the best deal. It is not just in films, it is the case everywhere. Had I demanded a sum that was unfair, I would not have ended up making this film. It is only because, it was fair that he agreed.”
On films he is producing…
After Engeyum Epodhdhum , I am producing two films. One is called Raja Rani and the other is Vathikutchi .
When newcomers approach you to make films that help them build their career, you are filled with a sense of joy and pride. In fact, I will say that I am even addicted to this joy.
