Director Lingusamy talks about his current Tamil-Telugu bilingual project with Ram Pothineni and explains why he is wary of OTT platforms.
Lingusamy is busy doing something for the first time in his 20-year film career: writing a story.
“Honestly, most of my hits, be it Anandam, Daud Or Paya, there was never a solid story,” said Lingusamy in a candid conversation at his Valasarvakkam office, “They all had a collection of good visuals and a script. Now, for the first time, I feel like my current film with Ram Pothineni has a strong story [RAPO19],
This comes after a few not-so-friendly outings for the filmmaker; His Suriya-starrer Anjaan (2014) It was one of the most banned films of the decade.
“I am enjoying my shooting time with Ram, who is a big star in Telugu. Our cordiality is very warm and on the lines of working relationship I enjoyed with the likes of Suriya, Vikram and Madhavan,” he says, adding that he is currently shooting for a whistle-based montage song composed by Devi Sri Prasad. Rama may be their hero, but Lingusamy is very excited about the villain played by Adi. “After the release, he will reach greater heights,” promises Lingusamy, singling out Vijay Sethupathi’s villainous performance in the Vijay-starrer. Guru ji Among his recent favourites.
big screen craze
The past few years have been slow for the director, who has patiently worked on his upcoming Tamil-Telugu bilingual, unlike some of his peers busy with OTT projects. Lingusamy admitted that he is yet to get ready for the OTT craze. “I can only see myself as someone who makes films for theatres. Even as a viewer, I find it very difficult to watch content on OTT platforms.”
They’ve only made three exceptions in the last year and a half, see sorarai potru, Sarpatta Parambrai and malayalam film House, “I think these virtual platforms are very congested. For me, going to the theater has always been a fun, enjoyable experience, like having a nutritious meal, whereas OTT comes across as a quick snack at a fast food joint. ,
road traveled
Many Tamil directors of the 2000s died, but the army of lingusamists continues despite both hits and failures. “I believe that over the years, my cinematic taste and ability to see good cinema still remains intact. This is what has kept me in the industry till now.”
They believe that taste is not the result of simply reading and watching: it is from being in good company. Lingusamy’s years of struggle in Kollywood saw him live in houses that were full of aspiring directors, full of ideas.
Referring to names like Vasant Balan, Balaji Sakthivel, Nanda Periyasamy, Brinda Sarathi, Nagulan Ponnusamy and Mani Bharathi, he recalls smiling, “Everyone who lived in those rooms would be connected to the cinema.”
“We used to discuss each other’s scripts for days. I have also contributed ideas for Shankar Kadhalan, even without his knowledge, through his assistant directors. At that point, if one of us had a spark, 10 others would contribute to it, and we would keep fixing it. We didn’t have money or luxuries, but we had big dreams. So the first film of all these directors is their best work; It includes inputs from so many people who have unknowingly contributed to it, without any envy or motive.”
It is the friendship he has maintained ever since that has kept him in good stead. “I am not very intelligent nor do I have great cinematic knowledge, but when you get into good company and are enthusiastic, you will get the job done. If you try 51%, the world will give you the other 49% A film will conspire to give the project to realization,” he says philosophically.
They feel that keeping someone updated is an important aspect of longevity. “Director Balaji Sakthivel used to tell me, ‘Original La Thoppa Vijhunduda Kudthu (You should not have fat in your brain). A filmmaker’s practice is to watch movies in theaters and be involved in everything he did before making it big, and the realization that what he knows is a drop in the ocean. ,
Whenever he is not thinking about scenes or is busy in meetings, Lingusamy’s favorite activity is not to binge but to watch casual movies.
“I watch evergreen classics like cinder, Mother India, Tax And titanic, I look at them like I’m seeing them for the first time, and that makes me very happy. whenever i see newgan, I think to myself: Will I ever make up a topic like this someday? At the same time, whenever someone Ranjit or Vetri Maaran makes a great film, I watch them in amazement. There’s still a lot to be done…”
,