In conversation with Gautham Menon
22 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Tamil Cinema, Work Tags: Ganesh, Gautham Menon, Jessie, Karthik, Simbhu, Southscope, STR, Thrisha, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya
[Originally published in Southscope Magazine, post the release of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya.]
“I love filmmaking, and I love the process. And I would rather do nothing else. It’s a privilege to be able to paint such big pictures, so to speak.”
~ Bryan Singer
At Amethyst, one of Chennai’s more exclusive restaurants, the scene is controlled chaos. Waiters pass by reverently among palm-fronds and potted plants outside, even as guests hobnob with celebrities, rubbing away absent-mindedly at mosquito bites. Inside, under the soft lighting and ethnic furniture, we wait patiently for the man of the moment: Gautam Vasudev Menon.
Undoubtedly, he’s the hero of the marquee: he’s just delivered a stupendous hit in both Tamil and Telugu. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa is the love story of today complete with lingo, aspirations and characters of 2010, while Ye Maaya Chesave is creating similar magic in Andhra Pradesh. In a time where the box-office doesn’t take a hundred days, but just three, Menon’s movie has been going strong for days – and the best of all publicity tactics, Word-of-Mouth, is doing wonders for the movie.
The story is no different – it’s not so much as old wine in a new bottle as sparkling cola in a swanky, flashy mug. Billed a “Different love story. Again,” its chief attraction, aside from the lead pair themselves and a great crew, happens to be the warm and realistic men
and women portrayed. Yes, there are several beautiful numbers by Madras’s Mozart A R Rahman, no less, topping the charts – but it’s the feel of the movie, like sticking a camera into a into a couple’s life, that makes it so appealing.
More such ruminations later, Gautam Menon’s man-Friday appears first, heralding his arrival – and then the director arrives, pausing to accept congratulations by the dozen.
Talking to Gautam Menon is like conversing with spitfire – you have no idea what he’s going to come up with next, or which topic he’s going to tackle. The subject revolves, naturally, around VTV’s commercial and critical success, various reviews and the way the
climax differed in both Tamil and Telugu versions.
“I even shot the break-up differently,” he explains, hands waving in his eagerness to describe the shoot. “If you notice, I shot it continuously for the Telugu version because both actors are pretty new. But for Tamil, I could afford to break it up, because both stars
are capable of carrying on where we leave off.”
End of impromptu conversation, and we’re a go for the real interview. What does it feel like, now that the entire crew is down from VTV’s high?
“Actually, I’m still on a high,” Gautam gives a quick grin. “It was a long project, with a lot of painstaking work – and the results are finally out. Frankly, it’s amazing. People love it, the casting, the characters, songs …”
Has he ever gone online since the release to find out the veiwers’ verdict? A good number of bloggers and online users have fallen in love with the film and are posting enthusiastic reviews. A satisfied smile widens on Gautam’s face, an expression that appears often during the conversation.
“I’m not very into those things,” he says much to our amazement. “But I’m glad to know that they like it so much. So much public frenzy for this film is unheard off!”
Doubtless, the unpredictable casting had a good deal to do with it. How did he zero in on Trisha and Silambarasan for his lead pair – two actors who are known for their mainstream aura and completely commercial work, for what is rather an off-the-cuff film?
“It was a casting coupe, yes,” Gautam agrees. “The truth is, it was a completely business decision. I knew that if I cast Simbhu, I’d be going against a lot of pre-conceived ideas, and it was the same with Trisha,” he says bluntly. “But my instincts were correct; they
both did an excellent job. Whether it was dances, romantic or fight scenes, we had nothing in the way of elaborate rehearsals – they completed it in one shot.”
Of course, the best part of VTV is the characterization: Simbhu plays Karthik, crazily in love with his neighbour, while Trisha is Jessie, a Malayali Christian, practical, cool – and yet, filled with the fire of longing and love. Didn’t Gautam receive a lot of flak for portraying their scenes together in a rather lustful way? Indian cinema, after all, shies away from showing the physical aspect of any romantic relationship.
“I’m completely aware of the double standards adopted here – and I accept it.” Here comes the grin again. “But tell me – what part of romance doesn’t involve a physical aspect? Touch is important; there has to be touch, between lovers.”
A dialogue in the movie actually has Simbhu telling Jessie that he wants to “make love to her all the time.”
“Love-making is an essential part of romance – but I’ve shown it in a very tasteful way. Simbhu actually touches Trisha’s feet in the movie, if you notice. In the beginning, he’s hesitant, but after they accept their love, he does it with more confidence.”
What about the French kisses, though, peppered liberally throughout the movie?
“Oh come on,” Gautam guffaws, but there’s a faint frown on his brow, “of course there are going to be kisses between lovers!”
Considering the amount of realism in the movie – was this love story inspired from life? “Every film-maker inserts some part of himself into his movies,” admits Gautam. “I won’t say VTV is from my life, though. It’s a realistic take on today’s relationships.”
He elaborates on the theme, though, touching n his own life. “My wife and I were friends before we married, and she told me that she knew she was going to marry me the second we met,” he chuckles. “I didn’t feel any such thing – in fact, I was involved with someone else – but it was twelve years before I finally realized where my relationship with my future wife was headed. All it takes is a spark, really – and everything suddenly falls into place.”
A spark is all it takes for Simbhu’s Karthik to fall in love with a demurely saree-clad Jessie, a programme analyst with Polaris – and incidentally, a year older to him, in the movie. Nalini Sriram’s simple sarees and salwar-kameezes are a big part of Jessie’s classy, grown-up appeal; how did Gautam decided on her wardrobe, considering mainstream cinema’s mad dash after glitzy modern-wear?
“I and my assistants did a very thorough research on the dresses worn by a young woman working in a software company,” he says seriously. “We’d wait in the bus-stops around Chennai, photographing or recording the outfits of girls who worked in such companies
and then look into their attire. A majority of them wore salwar-kameezes like the ones Trisha wears in the movie. Malayali Christians, in particular, go in a lot for sarees.”
Interruptions galore, as actress Radhika comes over to congratulate Gautam, and we continue a few minutes later.
VTV might be a simple love-story, but what makes it so different are the confrontations between Karthik and Jessie – leading to criticism that Jessie’s character is confusing. What woman, some ask, is this muddled about her decisions?
“Haven’t you seen women like this?” Gautam asks, in turn. “I have. There are people like Jessie who want one thing but battle with their hearts to come to a decision. I’ve also seen men like Karthik who fall crazily in love. Ever since the movie released, so many people
have called to tell me that this is exactly their story. That they’ve fallen in love with a woman like Jessie, yelled in front of her home, thrown down their cell-phone … its life.”
Fair enough. But must they speak so much in English? Among the so-called mass audiences, this is a common complaint about Gautam’s movies.
“Don’t watch the film, then.” The answer is sharp. “I’m not forcing anyone to. Did you like Theeratha Vilayattu Pillai?” he mentions the Vishal movie. “Or Yogi? If that was the kind of earthy, rustic movie everyone wanted, they’d have watched it. They needn’t go
for this one.”
What did he think of Subramaniapuram, then, the trend-setter that re-wrote the rural milieu in Tamil cinema?
“I liked it,” he admits with a shrug. “I even called Sasi Kumar to say so.”
Gautam is, however, aware of his penchant for English – he’s inserted a couple of in-jokes about it in the film itself. The director insists, though, he’s completely home-grown, and thinks only in Tamizh. “I studied engineering in a place called Kalamavoor, between
Trichy and Pudukottai. Believe me, in our group of 20, only three spoke good English. Years later, I see them in foreign countries, heading companies, speaking English and wearing suits. I’m amazed at the transition. This is the real world.”
His own transition into the Tamil film world was slow and steady. He started out as Gautam, then became Gautam Menon – now, he’s Gautam Vasudev Menon.
“When I made my entry onto films, the producer felt that my surname might keep the audience from accepting me,” Gautam says candidly. “I’ve never had any reservations about using my full name, though.” His initials even appear on a prop-ship in one f the
song sequences – a joke played, reportedly, by art director Rajeevan.
Back to VTV – there are a couple of references to actor Ajith as well. What about the buzz surrounding his upcoming project with the actor?
“I’m still working on the script,” Gautam clarifies. “Ajith wanted some time as he’s going in for a racing championship for the next few months.” He does divulge that the working title for one particular script he’s mulling over is Thuppariyum Anand, a story set in Madras in the 1920s. Things are still very tentative, though, and the latest buzz is that he’s signed with Simbhu again.
Ganesh, one of the producers passes by, and conversation turns to him. The man plays a cinematographer who’s Simbhu’s friend, and incidentally, has walked away with plenty of applause.
“Ganesh was a genuine find,” Gautam’s face relaxes as he fields a dozens texts and calls on his phone. “We’ve been friends for a long time and initially, we thought we’d be the only ones to appreciate his brand of humour – but his off-beat comments in the movie
have become a hit,” he laughs.
It’s been an eventful ten years from his first film, Minnale. How has the ride been?
Gautam turns thoughtful. “I knew I wanted to be a film-maker even when I was studying. The first time I saw Nayagan – I was struck dumb. I worked for some time selling Auto-cad in Wipro – but I spent half a day at least, watching movies. I knew then, what I had
to do. I joined director Rajeev Menon as his assistant – and that was it. I’ve never looked back since.”
His friends surround him in earnest – and we leave him to enjoy the congratulations all over again; a just reward.
