I like films and I have been watching films from a young age. So, making films happened to be a natural progression

Aaranya Kaandam’ is not the biography or history of a gangster but a page out of the life of a gangster. It is like a day in his life.

Gangster films are exciting

Even though ‘Aaranya Kaandam’ wasn’t successful or seen by many people, it has an aura around it. It’s a false aura, but it has helped me get things done

I like to be in that space, the same middle-class man. Otherwise, you become completely detached from reality

Aaranya Kaandam’ is a term from the Ramayana. It means Jungle Chapter but apart from the term, I haven’t borrowed anything else. The characters are as good or as bad as the common man.

The pleasure for me is in the writing process, which has its own challenges.

Usually, when I am not working, I mostly hang out with my friends, ride my bike, listen to music, and, occasionally, watch movies

When I write a story or think of a scene, I always play some song in the background. Sometimes when I don’t add a song at the writing stage, I do it while editing the film.

It is their job as actors to play different people. Should only a doctor play a doctor’s role?

The pivotal scene in ‘AK,’ where Jackie Shroff ‘s character Singaperumal parades around his room in the buff, is a metaphor for his false sense of prde and arrogance

I’m not making movies for kids or family audiences.

I go for actors who do precisely what is expected of them.

I’m a huge fan of Doordarshan, so my influences range from international to local

I’ve been trying to write since 1998 after dropping out of Visual Communication from Loyola. My parents have been supportive

I generally won’t give importance to language barriers. If I feel an actor will fit into the role I will approach.

Because hardly anyone has seen ‘Aaranya Kaandam,’ it’s like a mystical Yeti

If I have to name someone who is responsible for me coming to films, it is Ilayaraja’s music. From a young age, I’ve been a huge fan of his music. Because of that, I studied Visual Communication.

I am totally inspired by ‘Godfather,’ one of the greatest films made. Also, I am fascinated by the thought of how someone becomes a gangster and continues to be one

I am inspired by Indian mythology.

The ‘Mahabharata’ is the best story ever. It makes you believe that impossible things can be made possible. There is magical realism

Once you create a believable fictional universe, you suck the audiences into that world and they tag along for the ride

If the film succeeds at the box office it is a commercial film. Otherwise it isn’t.

There’s nothing Vijay Sethupathi can’t pull off, right?

I like strong women. Strong women characters have always existed in the movies of directors such as K. Balachander and Mani Ratnam

I watched ‘Disco Dancer’ when I was very young. I have always loved its songs.

We make movies to be watched in theatres. Online streaming is more of a bonus, to revisit the film.

It is up to the directors to take risks in telling a story and if they want to experiment, they should work with the right kind of people

Mostly, I am waiting. Got to finish the edit, I am waiting. Dubbing must get over, I am waiting. Waiting for shoot. Waiting for the set. When you are waiting, your mind isn’t relaxed enough to watch a film

We seek festivals for two reasons – either to create buzz because it is a small film or to find unexplored markets outside India

We all make films to be hits.

Even if you come up with a conventional script, directors face several issues in convincing people to get on board

I did not fix any genre for ‘AK.’ We just write a story and audience will put it in a genre as they perceive it

No matter how many films a filmmaker makes, there would be very few films that are truly great, where he has got everything right

Nothing is right and nothing is wrong in life