Director Rosshan Andrrews could be described as the star-maker of comeback heroines. Having delivered a superhit for Manju Warrier in her second outing in How Old Are You, Rosshan is all set to watch another star-heroine return from a seven-year sabbatical.
Having ruled the hearts of Tamil audiences, actress Jyotika, who went into family-dom following her marriage to superstar Surya, is returning to the silver screen with 36 Vayathinile, now playing at theatres in the UAE.
But then, Rosshan says directing the two talented heroines in their second-coming was sheer coincidence. “Manju’s return was planned with a Renjith movie; for some reason, it didn’t take off. As for Jyotika, it was indeed an honour with Surya stepping forward to produce the film.”
For Rosshan, the film also offered the challenge to work on a different cultural milieu, and writers Bobby-Sanjay adapted the script to suit the culture and ambience of Tamil Nadu. The careful attention to details went into every aspect of the film.
While Manju had a rather uncommon name Nirupama in the Malayalam version, in 36 Vayathinile, the protagonist is named Vasanthi, and her husband (played by Rahman) is Tamilselvam. “These are very common names in Tamil Nadu; there is a Vasanthi and Tamilselvam in every neighbourhood, and we wanted the characters to resonate with viewers instantly,” says Rosshan.
Rosshan says the theme of the film – of how a woman finds her spirit of independence – is relevant to any audience, anywhere in the world. “Women’s lives typically evolve under the radar of their parents, then to their husbands and eventually to tending to their children’s needs, even when the kids grow up.”
How a woman looks at life without ‘an expiry date’ for their dreams, Rosshan says is what makes the film relevant.
The Tamil version, Rosshan says, is a good 20 minutes shorter than the Malayalam original. “It is sharper and flows smoother; I would say it is better because isn’t that what we all aspire to do? To better what we have already did?”
As for comparisons between Manju and Jyotika, Rosshan has a clear answer: “Give one situation, say the climax of Kireedam, to Mohanlal, Kamal Haasan and Aamir Khan. Even when every aspect of the scene is the same, the final output is invariably different because every actor has a different body language. A director’s job is to sculpt the character according to the personality of the actor.”
“Manju and Jyotika, similarly, have a very different body language, which means how they interpret the roles, even when they are largely the same, will be different,” says Rosshan.
He says there is so much a director can contribute to bringing out the performance of an actor. “A bad actor, ultimately, is the director’s responsibility. I have often used reactions of actors that happen before we say ‘action’ because those moments often tend to be more spontaneous. Acting is reacting and behaving in front of the camera, and it is up to the director to get the best from his cast.”
Rosshan, however, says that working with Jyotika was a breeze because she came with no hang-ups and presented herself on a clean slate. “In fact, we got to know better during the shoot. She is not just a fantastic actor but also a wonderful person. Even when she asks, ‘how are you,’ you can feel it comes from the heart. She is absolutely genuine, and getting to know her before the shoot, helped in direction too.”
A highpoint of the film is its music by Santhosh Narayan, and the whole experience of recording it, in less than two days, was a great learning for Rosshan. “I was referred to Santhosh by my friend in Abu Dhabi, Kamarudeen, who has great knowledge of cinema from anywhere. During my visits to the UAE, I spend long hours discussing movies with him. He suggested Santhosh’s name, which was okayed by Surya. The entire recording was done in Australia with some world-class musicians, people who have worked on movies such as Jurassic Park. Their passion for music and dedication make all the difference, and you can feel it in the music of 36 Vayathinile.”
Rosshan is the least perturbed about the film’s success chances and is confident it will set a new trend in Tamil cinema. “I am happy to debut in Tamil with this film; it is a simple movie made in a simple way without the usual frills.”
He now moves to his next film in Malayalam, a dream project, being scripted by Bobby-Sanjay, and starring Prithviraj. “it is a family-oriented movie about how technology is impacting human values.”
