“Go with the flow. Don’t plan too much or have any expectations.” This principle is something you hear actor Varun mention quite a few times as he speaks about his journey with Joshua: Imai Pol Kaakha, directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, which is releasing five years after it began production.
Picture this: you are a young actor waiting for a big break and you see your stars align when a master filmmaker who works predominantly with top-tier heroes decides to make a John Wick-esque action film in Tamil with you in the lead. You take it up as a challenge, rise to the occasion, and give it your all physically and mentally, only for it to lie in the can for years. Varun went through shock, dejection, realisation, acknowledgement, and finally, moving on while holding onto hope.
”Joshua taught me that you cannot plan certain things, especially when it comes to cinema; you have to be in a neutral state. This is why even now, days before the release, I am conditioning my mind to just go with the flow and to not have any expectations about the result of the movie; because setting up a lot of expectations can disappoint you as well,” says Varun.
Excerpts from a conversation:
Can you take me through how ‘Joshua: Imai Pol Kaakha’ got delayed and how you handled it mentally?
We started shooting for Joshua when Gautham sir was committed to doing Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu. Enai Nokki Paayum Thota was in post-production and sir was working on Dhruva Natchathiram as well. So we could plan a proper schedule only based on his availability. We would finish shooting for a schedule, he would go on to focus on his other duties, and once again we would have to wait for his calendar to free up; this became a cycle. In fact, when a few schedules got delayed, I did feel a bit anxious about when we would start shooting again.
And in 2020, just as we were about to go to the U.S. to shoot a long, pivotal schedule, the pandemic-induced lockdown spoiled our plans. We had no control over it, and so we had to stall the production for a couple of years. After that, Gautham sir had to do Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu. Then came a delay in the post-production of Joshua. The CGI technicians took five to six months for their work but we were not satisfied with the output because it didn’t match the international standards with which we had shot the movie. So we had to give them more time to redo a lot of that. Gautham sir wanted Dhruva Natchathiram to release first but since it didn’t happen for whatever reasons, we decided to release Joshua.
This was quite a difficult journey because what else could you do when you cannot be certain of something? I decided not to think about it, and told myself that things would eventually fall into place. What I realised in this journey is that time, luck and hard work should all fall in place for something to happen. I’m quite positive it has happened and that the film will be received well.
Varun in a still from ‘Joshua: Imai Pol Kaakha’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
From the trailer, the film looks like an out-and-out actioner in the same vein as BBC’s ‘Bodyguard.’ How did Gautham describe this character and how did you prepare for the role?
I play a hitman in the UK who falls in love with Kundhavi Chidambaram, a woman whom he is assigned to protect as a bodyguard. Usually, a hitman is depicted as a normal, rugged-looking muscle-for-hire — it’s the cliche so I wasn’t sure what sir was going for. That’s when he showed me some references, like John Wick, Extraction, and so on. Joshua is a quirky, unique version of a hitman, and Gautham sir had nuanced details about who this guy is and how he operates. For instance, he’s a part of Kundhavi’s Close Protection Unit, and these guys wouldn’t let her use a normal Wi-Fi connection through her phone since they don’t want her signal to be tracked; they would buy a specific modem and use mobiles only when it is connected to that network.
What sort of training did you undergo with Hollywood choreographer Yannick Ben?
It was great fun and I have also found a friend in him. I learned MMA and parkour from him, and these are skills I can put to use throughout my life. He’s a perfectionist and it was fascinating how he’d record our prep in slow-motion video, and give very specific pointers on how I should move and which part I should focus on hitting, and he would expect us to execute them perfectly, up to the minute details, inch-by-inch. Yannick shot a video of sorts about how the film would look like — which we would release soon — and only after seeing that did Gautham sir say ‘let’s go ahead with the shoot.’
Varun in a still from ‘Joshua: Imai Pol Kaakha’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
You have worked with a director who has been in the industry for over two decades and has a following on his own. Was there pressure to prove yourself to Gautham and the audience?
Initially, I was like, ‘No matter what, Gautham sir has to like my performance.’ But after a week, I realised that it wasn’t enough to simply impress Gautham sir. A film is a collective process of creating a magical moment that the audience should enjoy. So if I am under constant pressure, I won’t get the best out of myself or let myself be in the moment. Moreover, sir was particular that I should be in a cool, comfortable state. That is also why we pulled off even the most difficult action sequences with ease.
What impressed you the most about Gautham’s filmmaking process?
My biggest takeaway from Gautham sir is how he ensures there’s a rhythm, a certain realism, in his scenes. He ensures everything happens smoothly, that we live the characters naturally, and that it should be something that happens at the moment and not something that comes from too much preparation. Say, for instance, I am supposed to call the heroine in a crowded environment; the plan would be to say, ‘Excuse me,’ but what if she doesn’t hear that? In that case, I would have to carry forward that dialogue and do what we would do when someone didn’t hear us the first time. That should be done in the moment and on beat. Sir would say, ‘I want to capture some nuances, so just hear what I am saying on the mike, don’t react to it, and just go with the flow.’
Some actors let the scripts they get carve their path, while others have a target in mind and choose only those that can help them travel towards that goal. You are just starting as a leading man but where do you see yourself in this regard?
I am kind of both; I don’t avoid the scripts that come to me, but I also realise the scripts that I like. I am being very open, and I think that’s healthier. I just want to take up strong, performance-oriented content.
Gautham had hinted that ‘Dhruva Natchathiram’ and ‘Joshua’ happen in the same universe…
Yeah...the character that Dhivyadharshini (DD) plays in this film is the same one from Dhruva Natchathiram. You will get a clearer picture when you watch both the films.
Dhivyadharshini and Varun in a still from ‘Joshua: Imai Pol Kaakha’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The many postponements in the release of Gautham’s ‘Dhruva Natchathiram’ seem to have unfairly affected the hype around ‘Joshua’ and there’s a bit of pessimism among the audiences….
With Joshua, Gautham sir only came in to direct the film and uncle (Ishari Ganesh) produced the film. With other films like Dhruva Natchathiram, Gautham sir had also produced and there were some burdens on him as well. So, there is no uncertainty about Joshua’s release in theatres on March 1, 2024. Fans of Gautham sir have been waiting for his film to release, and I am sure this will be a treat for all of them.
