Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi is back in the director’s chair for Kadhalikka Neramillai. On the lines of her debut film Vanakkam Chennai, the Jayam Ravi and Nithya Menen film also seems to be a breezy, fun, romance-drama. “It has no connection with the original film,” says Kiruthiga, referencing the 1964 cult classic by CV Sridhar, “Maybe at that time, it was a new-age love story while ours is the same for today’s time.” The yesteryear film marked actor Ravichandran’s first film and interestingly, Kiruthiga’s last work was the web series Paper Rocket which starred the veteran actor’s granddaughter Tanya Ravichandran. “She was the first person I called to inform about the connection when we zeroed in on this title,” says a smiling Kiruthiga, as we sit down at the office of Red Giant Movies, the banner behind the film.
“I try to tell stories without fixating on what genre they fall under. Kadhalikka Neramillai is based on stories I have heard people talking about and just like Paper Rocket, it’s also based on true events,” says Kiruthiga who agrees that there are not many romcoms coming up in Tamil cinema. “I think it’s because male directors are catering to male audiences and violence seems to be the trend. Women or children don’t want to see these movies but they still get made. Drama films, on the other hand, are timeless. Lubber Pandhu is a recent example which was celebrated and if more such films are made, people will definitely watch them.”
Kiruthiga has been toying with this film’s script for a few years now. “It was supposed to have taken off before Paper Rocket. After finishing it, when I was trying to cast for this film, Thiruchitrambalam had released and I thought Nithya would be a great fit for the role. I narrated the story over a call and she agreed instantly. While speaking to Ravi, I told him Nithya had agreed and he gave his nod to read the script. I think he would have visualised the film with Nithya before agreeing to it,” says Kiruthiga. “In romcoms or dramas, the emotions have to work and for that, characters have to connect. The two actors instantly elevated the roles.”
A still from the sets of ‘Kadhalikka Neramillai’
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Special Arrangement
In her previous two films, Vanakkam Chennai and Kaali, Kiruthiga gave equal weight to both her male and female lead characters. “When I speak to my friends, I understand that just like me they are also unable to connect with the female characters written by men because they don’t behave the way we do. I understand that men don’t seem to figure out the core nature of us. So when I write a female character, I want to make sure it connects with me and my friends,” says Kiruthiga for whom such character arcs come naturally from her life experiences.
One of Kadhalikka Neramillai’s USPs is AR Rahman’s music and ‘Yennai Izhukkuthadi’ has already turned out to be a hit. “The five songs incidentally fell under five different genres. While ‘Yennai Izhukkuthadi’ is a pub song, ‘Lavender Neramae’ is a travel song and ‘It’s a Break Up Da’, as the name suggests, is a breakup song. When discussing the songs, we discovered the various themes and we didn’t want to restrict the genres. That’s why ‘It’s a Break Up Da’ has a rock music feel to it.”
Kiruthiga calls her film a contemporary love story; ask her how she relates to it and the filmmaker says, “I believe I’m Gen Z (laughs). That’s because I have kids who belong to the Gen Z and Gen Alpha category. Rahman sir does not fit into any of these categories and that’s why he’s still who he is in the industry. Likewise, I can have a relatable conversation with late teens because I like to think I’m young (smiles).”
She says instead of having any preconceived notions, writing scenes from the characters’ shoes paves the way to a more organic story. “For example, a fight between a couple is the result of two different emotions from the man and the woman. The miscommunication which takes a toll on the sync they usually have is often the reason and this happens regardless of the generation they belong to. People have been falling in love for centuries; literary works from hundreds of years ago mentioning the feelings of those in love resonate with us even today. Love is a timeless concept but what’s changing is the way we look at it along with developments in society, technology and the mentality of the women who are rising from years of oppression.”
“I am someone who writes to be happy and stress-free in life,” says the filmmaker who says her inspiration comes from true events when asked about her works being slice-of-life films. “Death, which was the core concept in Paper Rocket, is inevitable in everyone’s life but we still go through pain and grief. That’s why the series considers death a transition. It’s philosophies that I use personally for peace and happiness and I think spill over to my writing. It doesn’t mean I will keep doing only such films; I want to do a horror film based on a paranormal experience I had. I want to do a crime thriller and I also want to do a mass-commercial film soon.”
A still from the sets of ‘Kadhalikka Neramillai’.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
In a recent interview, Kiruthiga mentioned Mani Ratnam and David Fincher as her favourite directors. Prod her why many of our filmmakers box themselves within a genre and Kiruthiga says, “I don’t think I have a style so I have the liberty to experiment with genres. I still have a lot to learn. Some experienced filmmakers can easily go out of the box and surprise us with a film. Mani sir gave us Ponniyin Selvan and is working on Thug Life though he was taking feel-good dramas just before that. Nolan is also making everything from a biopic like Oppenheimer to films like Interstellar and the Batman movies.”
Despite debuting in 2013, Kadhalikka Neramillai is Kiruthiga’s third feature film but the director feels she has always been working. “That’s because I’m constantly writing even when I’m not shooting. In fact, there are only a few filmmakers who make films periodically as many take time. I want to tell my story in the best way possible so I want to take my time for it to work. With the extra time, I write, so when a film of mine releases, I’m already ready for my next film with the bound script. I would rather sincerely do a film and not beat myself up if it does not work out, rather than rush into a film. What takes time is casting, getting their dates and finding a production house.” Interestingly, Kiruthiga says her home banner Red Giant Movies bankrolling Kadhalikka Neramillai is not as easy as others might assume. “They wanted to do this film because they saw Paper Rocket and wanted to take this one up considering the talents I brought to the table and the business aspect of it.”
Speaking of business, the conversation veers towards the deficit of women storytellers in Tamil cinema. “That’s something I often wonder about. Half of my team comprises women. In the world of OTT, it’s the women who are on top management. Even though I did not intentionally look for it, most of the HODs in my film turned out to be women and we only chose people based on their talents. When we are working, the gender never matters. I feel we are the crux of the change,” says Kiruthiga, who adds that persistence and resilience go a long way. “Sometimes I feel like giving up but the next day I work with twice the vigour because I want my story to be heard. The film industry has always been tougher for women but today there are more female technicians than before and that’s progress. I’m looking forward to seeing more in the years to come,” signs off Kiruthiga who is simultaneously working on a web series and a film.
Kadhalikka Neramillai releases in theatres on January 14, 2025
Published – January 07, 2025 01:11 pm IST
Tamil cinema
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Indian cinema
