Among new directors, Kalaiyarasan Thangavel has garnered attention for his honest perspective and ability to tell stories with social angles. His debut film ‘Aan Paavam Pollathathu’ has courted a good response in theatres and is currently on OTT. The major debate that arose after the film’s release was about gender equality.
Kalaiyarasan Thangavel emphasizes on gender equality
Speaking in an interview with Cinema Vikatan, Kalaiyarasan directly accepted this and said, “We clearly made equality a priority in the character design while writing the screenplay. We were very careful not to spread false ideas,” he explains at the outset. He says that for this purpose, he met with lawyers and discussed with several women’s and men’s equality groups, and delved deeply into which concepts were necessary and which could be misread.
‘Aan Paavam Pollathathu’ director clarifies the film’s theme of self-realization and equality
The main feature of this interview is Kalaiyarasan honestly in accepting criticism. “The audience is always right. They pay money to watch the film. If their criticism is correct, it is my responsibility,” he says clearly. He specifically said that some people said that some scenes reflected patriarchy. “I don’t want to talk about wrong politics anywhere. The theme of the film is that both the hero and heroine of the story realize their flaws and grow. I could have said it more clearly, that’s my regret,” he says frankly.
Praises technical team and credits collective effort
Kalaiyarasan was full of gratitude when talking about the film’s technical team. He individually praises everyone from cinematographer Madhesh Manickam to music composer Siddhu Kumar. “Siddhu Kumar is like a genie. The sound and music he gives elevate everything. Editor Varun KG was also supportive of the film, like another director,” he said proudly. He then added that it was the collective effort of this group that brought the film to the masses, and the entire team should take credit for the positive aspects that the fans have appreciated.
Kalaiyarasan optimistic about future projects
Kalaiyarasan was very optimistic about his future. “The reception this film has received has given me a sense of responsibility. Beyond this, I want to tell a good story more freely,” he said with a smile. The quality of being open-minded in accepting audience comments and criticism, and the honesty in trying to tell the story equally. The humility that he elevates and praises the technical team, all this reveals the strength of a director’s journey beyond ‘Aan Paavam Pollathathu’.
