Teachers' Day: Lessons from the Masters 

As a Teachers' day special, some of the biggest directors in Tamil cinema take the time to remember the important lessons they learned from their gurus
Teachers' Day: Lessons from the Masters 

Many of our top directors learned their craft by apprenticing with senior filmmakers, under whose guidance they often turned from works in progress to fully formed craftsmen. Here, some of the biggest names take the time to remember the important lessons they learned from their gurus:
 

Santhana Bharathi (Guna, Mahanadhi)
Mentor: CV Sridhar

“CV Sridhar sir was a genius who would work on his films at a breakneck pace. He would plan everything in advance to avoid confusion on the sets. He would work tirelessly from morning till noon, and then go home for lunch. Upon return, he would resume work with the same intensity until pack up. He would take almost no breaks in between, and that’s why his films always got shot in record time. I learned this from him.”

K Rangaraj (Udaya Geetham, Paadu Nilave)
Mentor: Bharathiraja

“Observing him keenly taught us a lot about films. He never had the ego of a big director, and never shirked from getting his hands dirty. Sometimes, he would even personally try and control crowds. A little-known trait of his is his ability to mimic others. He could imitate everyone from actors to everyday people he would meet. This served him greatly, I think, in being able to come up with realistic characters. I learned this from him.”

Vasanth (Aasai, Rhythm)
Mentor: K Balachander
"His table had a plaque that read, ‘I am not interested in excuses’. He would expect us to do whatever we were asked to. Strangely enough, everything he would ask of us would always be doable. He was always eager to try out new ideas that his contemporaries hadn’t woken up to. He would tell us that it was more important to be the first in coming up with something new than in simply trying to come first. It’s a mantra that has resonated with me for years.”

Seenu Ramasamy (Dharmadurai, Neerparavai) 
Mentor: Balu Mahendra

“I owe the life I’m living right now to him. If he hadn’t chosen me, I couldn’t have dreamt of a career in the film industry. I learned the importance of confidence from him. Irrespective of the situation, he would retain hope and always believed in himself. He would never compromise on the quality of his work for anything. There have been instances where he would just stay in the discussion phase for close to three years because he wasn’t happy with the film yet. He was also a big advocate of fitness, and would often tell us how important it was to work tirelessly. And of course, there’s his perseverance and passion for the art that has rubbed off on everyone who has assisted him.”

Parthiban (Pudhiya Paadhai, Housefull)
Mentor: K Bhagyaraj
“If a reporter from Cinema Express is calling Parthiban today, it’s all thanks to my guru, Bhagyaraj. Everything I know today is because of him. If I had joined another director instead of him, I would have become either a director or a hero. I became both because he was both. Before I joined him, I’d always think the scenes in my head to be the best. But he would tell us an amazing scene and citing it as a bad example, he would ask us to come up with something better. That’s when I realised my scenes weren’t up to the mark. He didn’t believe in tweaking scenes. If something didn’t work for him, he would reshoot it entirely, even if exhaustive effort had already gone in. He felt that abrupt editing ruined the mood of scenes.”
 

Kannan (Jayam Kondaan, Ivan Thanthiran)
Mentor: Mani Ratnam
“I learnt a lot from him, but if I had to point out one, it would be his refusal to go to a shoot without a bound script. He takes a year or two to ready his script, and once that’s done, he will wrap up the film in 40-45 days. Thanks to Madras Talkies, I learned the importance of a completed script. It’s what decides details like production value, costumes, cast and everything. I follow it till date and that’s how I manage to wrap up my shoot within 40 days.”
 

Vijay (Madarasapattinam, Deiva Thirumagal)
Mentor: Priyadarshan
“According to me, assisting Priyadarshan sir is like studying in a university presided by god. I had no knowledge of filmmaking and everything you see in my films today is because of him. You can see his influence in every shot of mine. He’s a magician when it comes to staging a scene. He’d shoot important scenes in places where we wouldn’t think of shooting them. Once he stages the shot, it’s incredible how it transforms into something entirely unimagined. Even today, when I begin a film, I seek his blessings. I’ll be happy if I’m just 10 per cent of him.”
 

Arivazhagan (Eeram, Kuttram 23)
Mentor: Shankar 
“Just like how his films are inspirations, his discipline in everyday life is an inspiration to his assistants. His eye for detail is extraordinary. He always thinks about all the technical aspects that can be incorporated into a film. Another commendable trait of his is how he constantly thinks of the audience. He keeps himself updated on the taste of audiences and knows how to translate that into his films.”

Ajay Gnanamuthu (Demonte Colony, Imaikkaa Nodigal)
Mentor: AR Murugadoss
“I learned everything from him and if not for him, I’m not sure where I’d be today. Right from writing the screenplay to understanding the audience, he taught me a lot. Apart from that, I also learned a lot of life lessons from him. He’d often talk to us about the struggles he went through, and would put in much effort to make sure we didn’t face the same issues. Working with him was easy, and he’s more than just a director for all of us. He’s always helpful to his assistants, and even though I’ve worked on two films, I can still go back to him for a favour.”
 

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