Arun Vaidyanathan
Interviewer: Inian, Jyothsna | Camera: P.Ganesh Babu | Text: Jyothsna
Arun Vaidyanathan, the NRI director of Achchamundu Achchamundu is highly animated about films and as he was getting ready for the release of his debut work, Jyothsna Bhavanishankar and Inian met him wherein he spoke at length about his film, Hollywood, Prasanna, Sneha and many more. Now, over to Arun Vaidyanathan


BW:
What do you like in behindwoods.com?

Arun Vaidyanathan : I am a regular visitor of behindwoods.com. One cannot find the pictures that are uploaded in your site in any other site. That’s how I got hooked on to your site and I am impressed by it. I am a regular visitor. I like your reviews and find them apt in most occasions as they are very daring. I am not saying this because I have made a film. I like your updates too. Every morning, first thing I do, is to read your website. I like your columns, super slide shows etc. It really makes me happy that someone is following the industry so closely. It is one of my favorite websites.

A brief introduction about yourself

I was born and raised in Sirkazhi and did my schooling and under-graduation there. Right from my childhood I was interested in music, dance and other such activities. In Sirkazhi, there were no malls or theme parks and the only source of entertainment was the four theatres where I used to watch films regularly. I was good in writing and have written for many magazines too. My mimicry skills during the college days fetched me a job in a television channel after my graduation. After I started working there, my desire to pursue a course in film making strengthened further. I graduated in Physics and wanted to do D.F.Tech but my parents felt I could go for such a course later on. Meanwhile I got admitted to M.C.A. During the interim period between B.Sc and M.C.A, when I was working for the channel, I was in a dilemma whether to pursue higher education in the designated field or to do a course in film making. Finally I took up M.C.A, completed it and got a job in Polaris. Subsequently I went to USA and got myself all the details about New York Film Academy and enrolled there for a three month course. The main objective to join this course is to acquaint myself with aspiring film makers of the world. I also met many of them. The best thing about New York Film Academy is that they allow us to make short films. I have made around eight short films. Then I started writing film scripts and I am here right now.

How was Achchamundu Achchamundu conceived?

Not only Achchamundu Achchamundu, but all films are conceived taking inspirations from the real life and the happenings around us. The root of Achchamundu Achchamundu is from such an event in our society. Although I have shot the film in USA, the problems that I have addressed are global. When I say it is a global issue, please don’t jump to conclusion that it is on terrorism. I have taken a small nucleus family as my central theme and have woven a story around them. Initially I toyed with the idea of writing this film for American audience but decided on an NRI family later. Achchamundu Achchamundu will break all the myths about the image that Indians have on NRIs. It will be close to realism. All along, Tamil films have portrayed Indians living in America as someone with an attitude. But it is not so. I have been living in the US for eight years and I have many friends who watch Tamil films, play cricket and do many things that a normal Tamilian will do here. So Achchamundu Achchamundu is about one such Tamilian Senthil Kumar.


What is the USP of Achchamundu Achchamundu?

There is always a yardstick in our life. If we say cars, we look to Japan; for mobile phones, it is China and so on. Similarly when we say films, we look up to Hollywood. Though Iran, Korea and other countries are also giving good films, Hollywood has set a benchmark especially in techniques of film making. Achchamundu Achchamundu is filmed there. I completely agree that just because a movie is filmed in America does not credit

"I can guarantee for

Achchamundu

Achchamundu
"

itself to be the best. However the crux is, I have used the techniques there to convey my content. Technicians from both Hollywood and India have worked in this film. Karthik Raja has scored music, Kunal Raj from America is responsible for sound effects, and Marty Humphrey has worked with us. Besides these, you can see and enjoy a film with good story and screen play. I can guarantee for Achchamundu Achchamundu and can confidently say that you can come and watch this film.

" Live sound is

possible here also
"


Why Prasanna and Sneha?

Generally in our films, we shoot the scenes and later complete the dubbing. Somehow I am not for this method. Today, in many countries live sound is the standard norm but it is not practiced here owing to various reasons. However it is only from this place, a Resul Pookutty won an Oscar using live sounds. So, live sound is possible here also. Therefore I wanted someone who can speak good Tamil. Although Sneha was born in Mumbai, raised in Dubai and is a Telugu girl, she speaks Tamil

very well. Next, my film has no heroism in it and I did not want someone who would ask me to change the script for image sake. I also wanted my film’s realism to reach the audience. Sneha and Prasanna fitted all these parameters perfectly. Secondly anyone can relate to the characters of Senthil Kumar and Malini and I felt Prasanna and Sneha would do justice to the characters.


Experience working with Prasanna and Sneha

If you ask them, they would say Arun is a task master. Jokes apart, both of them are fun loving and extremely dedicated. Shooting in America is a bit different and difficult as it is a 12 hour shift there and not an eight hour shift like here. Secondly shooting with live sound is not very easy. As I am a Tamil fanatic, I expected Tamil words to be spoken perfectly and they also cooperated very well. In America the usual procedure is to have rehearsals unmindful of one’s experience. Sneha was much

" I am a Tamil fanatic

and expect Tamil

words to be spoken

perfectly.
"

willing to rehearse although she is an experienced artist. Prasanna is very natural and both of them have given in their best. Most of all, as an artist, they were excited by my script which was what I needed. When someone works only for money, there will not be involvement but Prasanna and Sneha were not like that. They were extremely supportive and happy to work in my script. In fact, Sneha called me an hour after she saw the script and gave her assent.

Did you try any other artist?

I did try a few artists and all of them liked my script. But the problem is there are only a handful of Tamil speaking artists. More over I wanted bulk dates which was not possible with some of them. As they say in Hollywood, when the casting is done, half the job is done. A good script brings good artists, producers and everyone together. And I am happy that I zeroed in on Prasanna and Sneha. There was a time when shooting got stalled for a while and people suggested that I replace Prasanna and Sneha. I was not for it and they have justified my faith in them. The entire experience was very good for all of us.

About John Shea?

Usually, in our films, when we need a foreigner, we would just cast a white skinned artist and go about shooting. However I did not want that, as the role that John Shea plays in the film is very prominent and features throughout the film. As regards Hollywood, casting directors are very central to a film and the script will have to be liked by them. When I handed over my script to the casting director, I also gave my wish list for the role of Robertson and they in turn gave a list with ten names. We short-listed a few and handed over the script and all of them liked it. John Shea was last in the list and I met him finally in New York. He was very enthusiastic about the story and had many suggestions to play the role. Whenever I see excitement in an artist, I am thoroughly convinced. This passion cannot be faked. Further on, he started talking about India, Tamil Nadu, Bollywood and our film industry. John Shea is a renowned artist and when he was excited about my script, it boosted my confidence. Although he does not have much to speak in the film, his actions would be fearsome. I had visualized his role and he has done a wonderful job. I hope Tamil audience also would like him.

On filming with Red One camera

I have spoken a lot about this. At this juncture, I would like to say that a student is assessed by a teacher for what he is written rather than with what he has written. His writing tool could be a Parker pen or a Reynolds pen. Similarly whether I shoot my film with red one camera or any other apparatus, it does not matter to the audience as content is the key word here. Live sound and red one camera are advantageous for technicians. Red one camera is a high definition camera and is just an enhancing factor. In a usual cinema, we shoot in a film roll, change into high definition, do the color correction and then change it back into film roll again and then screen. Whereas in red one, you shoot in high definition, do the color correction in high definition and then release it. There is no need to expose in the film roll. You can completely shoot in hard drive and can edit the film then and there. These are the some of the advantages of red one. Of course there were some disadvantages which are corrected and it has become very stable now. I am glad to have chosen red one because the colors are vibrant always. It was very useful in dark moods. As the camera is very small in size, I was able to shoot in small enclosed spaces like a rest room or a lift. The smaller the camera size, greater are the options to shoot in various places. These things like the camera or the sound matter only to those who are very deeply in love with films perhaps like Viscom students or film technicians. For general audience it is the content which is significant. When I saw Achchamundu Achchamundu at Shanghai or in Chennai, people were moved only by the story than anything else.

What are the firsts of Achchamundu Achchamundu?

It is Arun Vaidyanathan’s first film. Apart from Red One camera and live sound, carnatic musician Sowmya has sung a song for the first time for a film. Hollywood and Indian technicians have worked in the film. For the first time we have done color correction in USA and for the first time, a Tamil film has been entirely shot in the US. Usually, films will show either the aristocratic New York or San Francisco, but for the first time, we have shown the suburbs of New Jersey. We have shown that there exists a different world within the US. And we are doing many digital releases.


Karthik Raja’s music

Music and sound effects play a crucial role in a thriller film as it enhances the mood. Hence it was a challenging assignment for Karthik Raja who has done a remarkable job. I had also given him enough freedom. I just told him to do whatever he likes and if I also like the same, it would be retained otherwise he can give me something else. We never had any major arguments. I wanted to formulate a theme music which he did and I think it has come out fabulously. As a director I am very happy with Karthik Raja’s music and wherever the film was screened be it in the US or in China, it has received good response. I am sure Achchamundu Achchamundu will be a comeback vehicle for Karthik Raja.

" We never had

any major

arguments
"


About Achchamundu Achchamundu’s awards?

" If someone is

reading

behindwoods.com, I

am very confident that

they are more

knowledgeable
"

Here people are terrified when they hear the word ‘award’ and treat it like an untouchable phrase. In the 80s, in Doordarshan, award films will be telecast on Sunday afternoons which were extremely slow moving and depressing. Hence this kind of an image is set in the minds of viewer that award films are slow and melodramatic. But when we step out, we realize the diversity of films that receive awards. In my opinion, audiences are more educated. If someone is reading behindwoods.com, I am very confident that they are more knowledgeable than the so called business people. When a person is educated enough to browse the net and read behindwoods.com, he would also know what is happening around the world in film circuit and what awards mean. In the Shanghai festival, Achchamundu Achchamundu poster stood along with a Will Smith’s film on one side, Revolutionary

Road on one side and Danny Boyle’s film on the other sides. How do we get such an opportunity if we don’t partake in such festivals? It is not a bad thing after all. We got Homegrown award for the best feature film in the 7th Garden State Film Festival. Then we got selected to screen our film in Shanghai International Film Festival which by itself was a great feat. I got to meet distinguished film personalities like Danny Boyle, Quincy Jones etc. Watching the film with Chinese audience was a revelation. My conviction that a film transcends language, country and other barriers was reiterated in China. Cinema is a visual medium. When we hunt for an Iranian film or a Korean film and watch it, our Tamil films also should reach that stage. This is my dream. I think Achchamundu Achchamundu is my first honest step towards that dream. In the US, an elderly couple came to me, held my hands and appreciated my work. Skip City Cinema film festival has given me a certificate for good film. These awards definitely motivate a film maker. Mostly producers and directors are keen to achieve profits. There is nothing wrong in it. However these awards encourage the creative minds immensely. As regards Achchamundu Achchamundu, my producers were also excited. Hats off to them for having trusted me and my script! I am sure Achchamundu Achchamundu will win more awards.

Why was the release delayed?

It was not delayed. I wanted my film to go to all the film festivals before it is released as I view this as a kind of marketing technique. In case Achchamundu Achchamundu was released in March, people would have watched it and forgotten. The film’s entry into festival circuit may not have had the desired impact on the audience. I wanted to promote the film well before its release. That’s the main reason.

In what other languages Achchamundu Achchamundu will be released?

As of now, we will be releasing in Telugu as Bhayam after a couple of weeks of Tamil release. Then I have plans to take the film to other languages. The reasons are pretty simple. The content of my film can be related by anyone beyond countries and languages. For instance, an old man walking along a road meets with an accident. The feeling of sympathy towards him will be universal whether he is an Iranian old man or an Indian old man. The same thing holds good for Achchamundu Achchamundu. Feelings and emotions are the same all over the world.


Future projects?

I have just completed one. As Mysskin said, release of one film is equal to that of the pain felt during six deliveries. This is my first delivery and let me get over it slowly. I also have scripts and I am clear on what kind of films I will do. I should also get supportive producers to translate my dreams. As of now, I am eating, drinking and breathing Achchamundu Achchamundu. Let the film get released and let me wait for the response from our audience. At the end of the day, recognition from my folks is more important than anything else. I want my film to reach my Tamil audience as they welcome new attempts with open hands. I am eagerly awaiting their response.

" I want my film to

reach my Tamil

audience.
"

 

About producers

Producers play a crucial role in the making of any film and especially to fund a film like Achchamundu Achchamundu, one needs immense courage which was ample in Anand Govind, Asma Hashmi, Srinivasan and Ramzan Lakhani. My heartfelt thanks to them! There could be many things in the script, but to translate that into a visual medium, we need finance and efforts of many people. Fortunately, I had four such understanding producers who were extremely supportive of my endeavor. An interesting aspect here is Asma Hashmi and Ramzan Lakhani do not understand Tamil. Anand Govind is a huge Tamil film buff. Srinivasan has worked with Kamal sir in many of his ventures. At this juncture, I would also like to point out that there is not much of recognition for producers here. After all they are the actual film makers. Another important thing is that though a film is produced well, it needs to be released. Ananda Pictures Suresh sir is releasing our film as he liked it. My thanks are due to him also.

 
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