Parthepan the policeman: Vithagan

Will and skill

MALATHI RANGARAJAN

TALKTIME Writer-director-actor Parthepan opens up on his next project, ‘Vithagan,’ a cop story.

Parthepan the policeman: Vithagan

Have you tried playing Rubik’s cube? ‘Vithagan’ will be as much a brainteaser,” Parthepan’s take-off is as quick and enthusiastic as always. The focus is his just-launched venture, ‘Vithagan,’ but the voluble interview material that he is, the session makes interesting detours too. “It’s a complete action film and I play a cop,” he says. So what’s new? “Action which involves the brain rather than brawn,” is the cryptic response.

It’s not as though Parthepan is playing a policeman for the first time. He did it with dexterity in ‘Abhimanyu,’ a few years ago. ‘Vithagan’ will be a story of a mother who imbues her son with the right values so that he grows up into an upright police officer, very different from his father, a corrupt cop.

Neither is the action genre new to him. Even his debut, ‘Pudhiya Paadhai’ had plenty of it. “I could have carried on in the same vein because after ‘PP,’ makers began to hound me with similar roles. Along with the camera they would bring knives, guns and sickles all geared up for the photo shoot,” he guffaws. A natural wit, conversations with this writer-director-actor-producer are never dull. “But I always saw myself as a director and didn’t want to be slotted in a particular genre.” Hence films with a variety of themes, such as ‘Pondaati Thaevai’ and ‘Sugamaana Sumaigal,’ followed.

But you also notice a definite pattern in his choice of themes. His award-deserving product, ‘Houseful,’ sank without a trace and he bounced back with a vengeance and offered ‘Ullae Veliyae,’ replete with sensual overtones. Again ‘Kudaikkul Mazhai,’ a very new attempt, was juxtaposed with the story of a sex-driven pervert in ‘Pachchai Kudhirai’ with Namitha, which bombed too! “As you suggest, the ‘Houseful’ debacle angered me a lot and the result was ‘Ullae Veliyae.’ ‘If this is what you want have it,’ kind of thing.”

But ‘Pachchai Kudhirai,’ he confesses, was made on the advice of those around him. The hero had shades of ‘Pudhiya Paadhai’s protagonist, only that he was worse. “The earlier Parthepan was a new face and was accepted in the role of a rogue, but his present image prevented the ‘Pachchai …’ role from becoming a success. Yet, honestly the end product gave me a jolt too …”

The cold reception given to ‘Kudaikkul Mazhai’ is still his pet peeve. “Lot of homework went into the scripting. I delved deep into the human psyche. If it had been a French or English film, people would have raved about it. Only because it was in Tamil it had no takers.” Probably it was ahead of its time … “May be, because even when K. Balachander made ‘Naan Avanillai’ with Gemini Ganesh, the film received only a lukewarm response. But its recent remake version with Jeevan as hero has proved a hit,” he says.

No more experiments

Henceforth no experiments, he has decided, though he does look for novelty among the choices offered. “I have to toe the line because, again to innovate I need money.” He smiles at the paradox.

The 150 days he has shot for Selvaragahvan’s ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’ has been worth it, feels Parthepan. “Initially I was told I would have to shoot for 40 days. But no complaints, I was fascinated when I watched it during dubbing.”

“‘Vithagan’ is a commercial venture and I don’t believe in experimenting with other’s money,” he says. “The producers are Seventh Channel Communications, which made ‘Vaettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu’ and ‘Indralogathil Naa Azhagappan.’ Both of us need a hit now.”

Poorna, who proved her mettle in a solid role in ‘Muniyaandi Vilangiyal Moondraam Aandu,’ is paired opposite Parthepan. “Poorna plays a staunch Christian. Milind Soman is the villain of ‘Vithagan.’ We have plenty of new faces too. These days it is they who lend authenticity to roles,” he says. Who’s the comedian? “‘There’s plenty of comedy, but no comedian.”

‘Ayan’s cinematographer M.S. Prabhu is wielding the camera for ‘Vithagan.’ “Joshua Sridhar should have gone places after ‘Kaadhal.’ He went through a bad patch and now he has been roped in for ‘Vithagan,’” he says. Another facet of Parthepan will come to the fore in ‘Vithagan’ — he has penned all the six songs of the film.

Mention daughter Keerthana, and the pride in Parthepan’s voice is evident. “She’s the one who is translating Milind’s dialogue into English for him. My children’s maturity is astounding. If only I had been as clear in my thinking in my early years I could have avoided many trials,” he states. “But at least now I have realised that life is a mirage. There are still so many out there sharpening their knives for mundane issues till the moment they drop dead!”

Will he get married again? “Never, even if the marriage hall is offered free,” he quips.

Parthepan’s penchant for wordplay is known. So what’s his tagline for ‘Vithagan’? “With a gun,” he grins.