Vignesh Shivan on 'Paava Kadhaigal': 'Didn't want to make joke out of sensitive topic'

Chronicling a story with the backdrop of honour killing and yet present it in an "entertaining" way in Netflix's upcoming Tamil anthology 'Paava Kadhaigal' was a challenge, says director Vignesh Shivan.

The film features four shorts, directed by Shivan, Sudha Kongara, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Vetri Maaran.

Shivan's segment 'Love Panna Uttranum' is an extension of the world of "Paava Kadhaigal", which explores how love, pride and honour influence complex relationships.

Starring Kalki Koechlin and Anjali Menon, the director's short follows two sisters who approach their father in different ways to reveal their love relationships.

Shivan, who has previously helmed heist comedy "Thaanaa Serndha Koottam" and action-comedy "Naanum Rowdy Dhaan" in Tamil, said he wanted to give a spin to a sensitive topic like honour killing in his short.

"It was an unknown territory for me. My films have always been in a lighter vein, with a great dosage of humour. But this was a sensitive topic, I was careful not to make a joke out of it. In a bid to try and present it in a cool way, I didn't want to cut a sorry figure," the director told PTI over Zoom call.

Shivan, 35, said he treated the story in a way that he could identify with, keeping it entertaining so that the message reaches out to a wider audience.

"It was quite an experience, challenging even, to present such a sensitive topic in an entertaining way. I thought this approach was necessary so that more people can know about the issue," he added.

The four-part anthology is produced by Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP Movies and Ashi Dua Sara's Flying Unicorn Entertainment.

Shivan said the makers were earlier toying with several themes - including love and lust - before arriving on honour killings for "Paava Kadhaigal".

Their decision was driven by the eagerness to push the envelope and attempt something they won't be able to do in the mainstream space.

"We wanted to do something which might unsettle, challenge us and that''s where the honour killing concept came in," he said.

"Paava Kadhaigal" marks Shivan's streaming debut after three theatricals.

The director said while he never felt any box office pressure with his feature films, digital medium completely erases that factor.

"Sometimes some films do wonders at the box office but you don't get enough respect for those films, which are most of the commercial projects. If a film's success is calculated only the box office, it isn't the right way to analyse it.

"My success lies in what I feel after finishing a film. That's my parameter of success. I am extremely happy the way this film has turned out. It''s a blockbuster for me," he added.

"Paava Kadhaigal" is slated to be released on December 18.