Marriage shouldn't mean only women adjust, say 'Pyaar Prema Kalyanam' actors

NEW DELHI: Tamil actors Elan and Saanve Megghana say their movie "Pyaar Prema Kalyanam" was designed to start a conversation around a subject often taken for granted -- where will a couple live after marriage -- by reversing the norm and having the husband move into his wife's family home instead.

Directed by Elan, who also stars in the film opposite Megghana, the romantic comedy follows a woman who refuses to leave her parental home after her wedding, prompting her husband to move in with her family instead.

The film, which follows Elan's 2018 directorial debut "Pyaar Prema Kaadhal" but features a new cast and characters, premiered on Netflix on August 21.

"More than talking about what is right and what is wrong, we just wanted to explore... we wanted the audience, after watching the movie, to start a conversation. That was our main idea," Elan, whose character in the movie is also named Elan, told PTI in an interview.

"For any couple who wants to get married, they also should discuss where they will live before tying the knot. We all discuss other things, like financial stability, babies and all that but this particular point is always taken for granted," he added.

Megghana, who plays Pavithra, a social media influencer, said the film treats a potentially sensitive premise with humour rather than turning it into a message-driven social drama.

"He (Elan) doesn't make it a social issue, but treats it in a very humorous way," she said, adding that the idea of a woman asking her husband to move in with her family "should have been normalised long ago".

"Nowadays I think men and women have become extremely understanding because they recognise each other. I somehow feel it's more vocal right now. In Indian households, women are told to adjust and compromise, right? That doesn't happen at all nowadays because women also are very much financially independent, and things have changed. So I think this film happened because we all know that objectively people will relate to it," she added.

Elan, who also directed the 2024 hit "Star", said the story, written by Mumbai-based writer Nivedita Pohankar, was originally shared with him in casual conversation before he encouraged her to develop it into a script.

"The reason why I wanted to make this movie was to show the perspective of the women rather than showing what a man goes through. That's not the point of the movie. This is strictly a movie to advocate what women have been going through for centuries. So I resonated with the script very well, and I had no questions over it," he added.

Megghana said the film makes the case that homemaking is not tied to gender.

"Irrespective of the gender, anybody can be a homemaker. We made it like a housewife, but I felt it could be a house husband also. One should not be ashamed of being a house husband or working inside the house. I think we just have to break that conditioning."

"Pyaar Prema Kalyanam" marks Elan's acting debut and he credited his team, including "shadow director" Harish and cinematographer Ganesh, for allowing him to focus on his performance while directing.

"Everybody literally helped me out, so I'm very grateful for them. Before shooting, we made sure that everything was clear to everyone so that I didn't need to worry about my acting part on the floor. So they took care of it very well, and that made things easier for me," he said.

Elan said the praise from filmmaker Vetrimaaran for his acting was among the best responses he has received for the film.

"What else can I ask for? He's someone who believes that acting is so important. Getting a compliment from him is the best compliment I got for this movie," he said.

Megghana, whose earlier credits include "Pitta Kathalu" and "Kudumbasthan", said she continues to look for well-written roles and considers her craft a work in progress with each project.

"There's a lot to learn and I'm trying to be as open as possible because only when I'm open and receiving things can I learn and unlearn things and get better... I really want people to remember and always think that whichever film I'm part of or associated with, that film will definitely leave something with them, entertain them, or it will be a good film. That's exactly how I want to shape my career."

"Pyaar Prema Kalyanam" also features Radikaa Sarathkumar, M S Bhaskar and Yogi Babu, with music by Yuvan Shankar Raja.