‘Mariyaadhai’

‘Mariyaadhai’ marks the return of the Vikraman-Vijayakanth combination. malathi rangarajan talks to the director about the making of the film

It could be because Vijayakanth is doing a dual role (of an old and a not-so-old man) or because it marks the return of the Vikraman-Vijayakanth duo or it has Meena as one of its heroines. But the fact is that the promos of the soon-to-be released Mariyaadhai remind you of the super hit, Vaanathai Pola.

Director Vikraman is known for his family-oriented themes. Only once did he allow himself to be veered away from the genre. The film was Chennai Kaadhal, Vikraman’s last release. Three years ago, the Bharath-Genelia starrer began with a bang and ended in a whimper.

“The opening for Chennai Kaadhal was extremely encouraging but it couldn’t sustain. I wanted to try out a love story, and the end product didn’t turn out as expected. But I get bored of sticking to a particular kind of subject,” says Vikraman. Then why is he doing Mariyaadhai, which from the looks of it seems like his earlier film with Vijayakanth?

“I had a different story in mind but the producer felt that the proven line would be a safe bet. And the film has come out well.”

Surprisingly, he says the entire cast was decided by the producers. “Only Ramesh Kanna was my choice.” Healthy comedy has always been an integral part of Vikraman’s films — Vijayakanth’s levity-packed sequences in Vaanathai Pola still remain unforgettable. “The trend will continue in Mariyaadhai. Ramesh Kanna has done well,” smiles Vikraman. “I believe comedy should blend well with story.”

Beginning with the hit, Pudhu Vasantham, which had Murali in the lead, Vikraman has worked with a wide range of heroes but has never repeated them. Vijayakanth has been the only exception. The hero and the helmsman have come together for the second time for Mariyaadhai.

Then and now

At the time of Vaanathai Pola Vijayakanth was only an actor. But now he’s a political leader too … “That hasn’t changed him in any way,” says Vikraman. “As far as charisma goes, earlier if a Vijayakanth shoot had 1,000 people flocking to the spot, today the number that converges to have a glimpse of their leader is easily more than 10,000! But he continues to be simple and down-to-earth. Not once has he reported late for work. And the best thing about him is that he never interferes in any department of filmmaking, be it direction, dance, stunts or costume. The dialogue of Mariyaadhai will have no political innuendos or overtones whatsoever.”

Composer S.A. Rajkumar (with his signature tunes) and Vikraman formed an inseparable combo in many films. “You may say that Rajkumar’s tunes were repetitive, but do you know that they have been aped in other countries and have become very popular. I was shocked to hear the same orchestration and tune of ‘Yaedho Oru Paattu’ being popular in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Songs in my films seem similar probably because I concentrate on melody and the minor scale is my favourite,” says Vikraman. So this time when Vijay Antony teamed up with him for Mariyaadhai, he made his choice clear to the composer and the two worked in unison. The audio discs of the film have created a record of sorts. “At a time when CDs don’t fetch much money, nearly 50,000 copies of the film’s songs have been sold,” Vikraman informs, and adds: “My next film will have a very different subject.

It will go on the floors in a couple of months and will be released in April 2010.” That’s a year almost! “I work at my own pace. In 19 years I’ve made just 15 films. I prefer to keep it that way.” Vikraman has given five consecutive wins in the past including Poovae Unakkaaga with Vijay, Unnidathil Ennai Koduthaen, with Karthik, Suryavamsam with Sarathkumar, Piriyamaana Thozhi with Madhavan and Unnai Ninaiththu with Suriya. So will Mariyaaadhai be Vikraman’s next big hit?