CHENNAI: We have seen Gautham Vasudev Menon directing films on the spot-- which is a cakewalk for him. He may not plan on papers but he knows what is to come and most importantly what the audience wants. This time, it is quite different, he is busy with his day long rehearsal for his upcoming concert, Yennodu Vaa Veedu Varaikum at the Music Academy.
While it is common for a composer or a singer to have concerts, Gautham is the first director to have one-- a solid proof of how his creations have extended to be soulful musicals apart from the strong, aesthetic screenplays. In fact, when we tell him, if a listener hums a Nenjukul Peidhidum Maamazhai or an Aaromale or a Unakenna Venum Sollu, they have a Gautham Menon tone to it. Though we aren’t surprised, he is. “Apdiya? Aiyiyo,” he laughs.
“I was completely inspired by songs, which is why I forayed into movies. The songs I grew up with contributed to why I entered this industry. Even when I write, I listen to songs. Which is why, my narratives, have also leaned predominantly towards being musical as well as lyrical,” he adds.
From Minnale to Kaakha Kaakha to Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu to Vaaranam Aayiram to Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya and Pacchai Kili Muthucharam runs through our mind as he converses. But Gautham gets honest about one film of his, Nadunisi Naaigal, to our surprise. “In 2011, I made that film which had no music in it.
I wanted to experiment with Nadunisi Naaigal, and it didn’t work out at that time, considering the fact it came after a film like Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (we remember the first look releasing with an announcement, which said ‘An AR Rahman musical’). Probably it would resonate with the audience now but I am not in a space to write a movie that has no music in it. Music has always played an important role in my work,” he sums it up for us.
Gautham, brought along with a huge pool of talent that includes Harris Jayaraj and along with them came Karthik, Krish, Andrea and many others. Tamil movie and music industry breathed a whiff of fresh air starting in 2000. “Harris and I started together and it is his 25th year as well. We vibe really well. He creates a special mood for my narrative. Also, I share a special equation with singers like Karthik, Krish and even Paal Dabba, who sang My Name Is John in Dhruva Natchathiram.
Karthik and I keep jamming a lot. We are like-minded people when it comes to music and we enjoy it. The rehearsal for Yennodu Vaa Veedu Varaikum is an extension as we have been putting in 10 to 12 hours a day. As we speak now, there is more to the session. Despite these musicians being busy, I am glad that they are giving time for the concert,” states the filmmaker.
The conversation leans towards 25 years of Minnale. While the movie set trends for romance in the 2000s, the 18-minute college portions were equally taken notice of by youngsters. “I still get to hear this wherever I go.
There are students, who tell me that they opted for Mechanical Engineering course (a typical Gautham Menon stress on MMMechanical, just like his dubbing for the professor in Minnale) because of the film. College portions were impactful but the music too was a crowd-puller. When we did Minnale, we were skeptical on how the film would be received because except for Maddy, we were all new-comers. When we released the audio, the audience started coming to theatres initially for the music. It put the film on the map,” reckons Gautham.
Thamarai’s lyrics too are an integral part of any of Gautham Menon’s films. While it is common to have a strong portrayal of women in films, Gautham’s playlists are never complete without defining his female leads in Thamarai’s breezy words. “My female characters are inspired by my mum, sister and my friends in college. When I portray them on screen, I want them to look as close to reality. Thamarai, she is a key contributor. I just don’t narrate the situation to her but the entire story, the background and why I am doing the film. She is one of my key collaborators, who knows my vision as well as the mood of the story,” he opens up.
Be it Rajesh from Minnale, Anbuchelvan from Kaakha Kaakha, DCP Raghavan from Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, Karthik from VTV, Sathyadev from Yennai Arindhaal and Suriya from Vaaranam Aayiram, aren’t our touch-and-go characters. They are people whom we have met at least once. “The same goes for me. In fact, I have met police officers like Anbuchelvan before I did Kaakha Kaakha. Suriya and I sat with such police officers for a week to understand their behavioural pattern. We went to commando training to see how they should hold guns,” reveals the filmmaker.
What next for Gautham Vasudev Menon, the director we all have thoroughly enjoyed for 25 years? “I am working on the Dhruva Natchathiram release. And then I have been writing. There is one action film and then a romantic script as well. But I need to see how things fall in place for one of this project to go on floors,” saying that he gets back to rehearsal.