I make films to express myself, not offend anyone, says Vetri Maaran

Maaran, who made his feature directorial debut in 2007 with Polladhavan, has established himself as one of the most relevant and riveting filmmakers from the south, courtesy his collaborations with Dhanush and powerful stories such as Aadukalam, India’s official entry to Oscars 2017 Visaranai and his latest, Asuran.

“I’m here to express myself and in putting forth my point. I don’t want to offend anyone. As a filmmaker, I think I have a responsibility in throwing light on something I feel concerned or bothered about. But at the same time, I don’t want to feel bad or threatened.

“I don’t want to put anybody in bad light. I don’t want to question the system or be harsh in my criticism,” the director said.

He added that if any section of the society feels ‘hurt’ by his point of view, he never shies away from taking responsibility.  

“Cinema is the medium of storytelling and I’m giving critique on the society and the system I live in through it. On that level, I take full responsibility of whatever comes out in the final product. If someone is upset about it, I’m answerable to them and I decide how to deal with the situation.” 

Maaran is known for a chaotic and somewhat cruel style of storytelling and the director said he is influenced by his mentor, celebrated director Balu Mahendra, and the Latin American cinema of the late 1990s or 2000s.