Thunivu can't be restricted to one genre: H Vinoth

CHENNAI: Director H Vinoth talks to us in the middle of post-production of Thunivu and says he is as excited as us for the film’s release on Pongal day. After Valimai’s release earlier this year, there has been a huge hype, which paved the way for speculations around the story.

“More than the pressure and the responsibility of making a huge budgeted film with Ajith on board, various versions of Thunivu story started doing the rounds everywhere,” laughs Vinoth. According to the filmmaker it has its own advantages and disadvantages. “Some people say it’s a heist film, while others say it’s a cerebral thriller. Going by these, the audience comes to the theatre with a lot of expectations and if a movie doesn’t cater to its hype and rumours, people are disappointed. We need to be wary of it and that was the pressure we faced when we were filming Thunivu.” he tells us.

Thunivu was originally planned only after Vinoth’s previous collaborations with Ajith-- after Nerkonda Paarvai and Valimai. “Ajith and I are contrasting characters. However, he had faith in me and my work. He gave me Valimai after seeing my work in NKP. I do not exaggerate and I openly discuss with him on what could be done to elevate a scene. He comes up with his suggestions as well. He likes to work with people who are disciplined at work and that is how, I believe Thunivu happened as our third project,” remarks Vinoth.

Ajith’s bearded and undercut look for Thunivu set several makeover goals this year. Vinoth says it was the actor, who surprised everyone with this look before the shoot went on floors. “I saw this look of his at one of his family events and saved the pictures on my phone. To play a baddie that was the look we needed with some minor corrections. However, he was happy to stick with this look. We shot a couple of scenes and we felt something was missing. Then we did a small change to his look and we got what we wanted. Credits to him on zeroing in on this look. Be it his hair texture or beard, he knew what the character wanted in terms of looks. So far, we have only given a glimpse of his looks to the fans and their happiness is sky high. I wonder what it would be like after a few more promos we have planned to launch in coming weeks,” he tells us.

Manju Warrier is another interesting addition to the cast. “She felt she had been doing some serious films and wanted to do a proper commercial entertainer. She felt Thunivu is the right film and she plays one of the team members of Ajith. It’s a five member team and I wouldn’t want to reveal more than that,” pauses the filmmaker.

Thunivu will release for Pongal and will have Vijay’s Varisu to compete with it. He says that it is a healthy trend. “A few years ago, three to four films would compete with each other for festival release. I wonder why that is being seen as a big deal now. Competition is always good but I wonder why there is so much politics behind it,” he smiles. Thunivu’s Chilla Chilla composed by Ghibran and crooned by Anirudh is a chartbuster. “I am glad that Chilla Chilla is acing the list even in some of the least-known music streaming sites. I had told Ghibran about collaborating with him after Theeran and I can’t wait to listen to his background score in Thunivu,” adds the director.

Despite being one of the most-sought after directors, Vinoth has refrained himself from social media. “I am a sensitive person. Easy ah kadupaadiven (I get touchy easily). And it needs a lot of time and attention. I am sure the right news reaches me at the right time. Do you really think I need one?” he concludes.