It has been 13 years since director Santkumar’s first film Mauna Guru was issued. after helming magamuni In 2019, he is now back Raswati, Starring Arjun Das, Tanya Ravichandran, Sujeeth Shankar and Reshma Venkatesh. “There was a break between my first and second film but the third film can be attributed to the lockdown. My next film won’t take that much time,” assures the filmmaker as we talk RaswatiCoincidentally, in a preview theater.

Santhakumar had earlier said in an interview that his research for a film involved a lot of reading material and emphasis on similar material. “It depends on the plot; MagamuniFor example, I need to understand a lot about spirituality and how a hitman works. So I watched a lot of documentaries and read news articles. Some stories may also require me to talk to someone related to the plot and investigate the area in which it is set. This is my attempt to get as close to reality as possible. Considering it was also a dual role, I saw a lot of the same material and it made me think about how differently I wanted to approach it,” says the director.

“In Raswati, it’s about a doctor,” he explains. “We may have seen doctors in clinics, but research is still needed to know everything about their work. Everything has to be established, from his financial condition to why he has been kept in Kodaikanal. Even if these aspects are not included in the film, as a writer I should know this. This R&D provides structure to the film and helps make it more entertaining.

“It is a simple story of a relationship. I have never done a hero-villain film before; Mauna Guru While this was about a completely unrelated student and a cop Magamuni Featured characters whose circumstances made them villains. till in Raswati, I will not separate the characters as villains or heroes. I don’t see them from each other’s perspective; I just see them as characters.

A scene from ‘Rasavati’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Unlike many writers, who develop stories from an original idea, Santkumar’s methodology is different. “When a character is put in an unusual situation, he creates his own story. That’s how it has worked, but if I do a comedy film in the future – a genre I want to work on – I would like it to have a plot. If he himself becomes funny, it will be easier to write a script based on that,” says the filmmaker, who prefers to work on his own.

“When I go into solitude my creative mind keeps working. I get a kick out of it when I connect with people. Otherwise, I write down a lot of ideas which I then have to piece together into a coherent screenplay. Since I also write the dialogue, I don’t define the lines that the characters speak. Instead I let the characters talk to each other in my mind, which I observe and note. In such cases, solitude comes in handy,” says Santkumar, who cites the writing process as an example. “There is a difference between hiking and trekking; In hiking, there is already a trail to follow. In trekking we have to make our own path and that is what I do. I remember I used to get nervous while writing Mauna Guru, But I didn’t have to face that problem Magamuni Or Raswati,

Apart from writing and directing, Santhakumar has also produced Raswati, “I felt something was lacking in my first two films and instead of expecting someone else to do it, I thought I could make up for it. Also, I didn’t find it difficult,” says the filmmaker, who credits his executive producer Prem for the task. “He takes charge of the day-to-day production work and my company is also a product of the partnership which frees me from those responsibilities. However, being involved as a producer in the promotion of a film after completing it is a new thing for me.

When asked if he liked science very much, he replied, “Of course, I studied zoology. But it won’t make it into my film unless the story demands it and it also includes other technical aspects like music and cinematography.” Let me tell you how it reminds me. magamuni In which Muni, a peaceful Samaritan, lived in a quiet and picturesque village, but Maga, a swindler, had a quite chaotic life. “It depends on what background the story can be set against. Raswati Could be anywhere in Tamil Nadu, but we have a reason why it is set in Kodaikanal and it is a product of R&D which adds a feel of authenticity to the story.

Director Santkumar Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Santkumar’s heroes are soft-spoken, noble characters who are “built from scratch”. Citing the example of making pots from clay, the filmmaker says, “After deciding the hero and the hero, equal attention should be given to the supporting cast as they should not be on screen just for the sake of it. I’m curious about each character’s background and life, and even if their role is small, this extra information makes it easier to get the kind of performance I want from the actor.

Interestingly, Santhkumar’s first two films have bitter-sweet endings, which its makers don’t entirely agree with. “is that so Mauna Guru On a positive note, though, I understand where you’re coming from. If I had ended the film with psychological treatment of the main character, the situation would have been even worse. The film ends on a positive note with their return to normal life, but MagamuniThe ending is quite heavy,” says Santhkumar. “I don’t deliberately try to do anything different. Spin bowlers know how to rotate their wrists to get the desired ball. On the other hand, I’m like that bowler rent With a deformed hand; I’m throwing a regular ball and it spins. It probably looks different to the audience, but I’m just a storyteller telling a story.

Rasavathi is set to release in theaters on May 10.