I was star-struck by PC Sreeram

...says Poongodi Kandhan, who has worked as an assistant director to Priya, Rajeev Menon, and Krithika Udhayanidhi 
I was star-struck by PC Sreeram

Directors worked with
Priya, Thirukumaran, Bakkiyaraj Kannan, Rajeev Menon and Krithika Udhayanidhi 

Films worked on
Gethu, Remo, Rajeev Menon’s next and Krithika Udhayanidhi ‘s next 

Main responsibilities
Costumes and artiste management. Assisted Rajeev Menon during pre-production of his next project.

Why filmmaking?
I was always facinated by storytelling, and this slowly led to me making a short film, which got me working with Priya and other filmmakers. 

What do you like the most about the directors you are currently working with?
Rajeev Menon and Krithika Udhaynidhi are both extremely focussed directors. They don't make compromises. 
 
What have you learned from them?
I learnt from Rajeev Menon how to tell a story with an aesthetic edge. Krithika has taught me how to add commercial elements in the right places. 

What’s the oddest thing you have done as an assistant director? 
One time, while shooting, I called cut even before the director did! The scene was being shot and the artiste was right in the middle of enacting the sequence and I accidentally called cut. Fortunately, the director, Thirukumaran, laughed it off.

What’s one area of filmmaking you are having a tough time with?
Research. If I could, I would assign it to someone else. 

What if filmmaking doesn’t work out?
I want to get into ad-filmmaking eventually, but not at the cost of filmmaking. I want to do both.

Which is the best film you’ve worked on so far? 
Gethu. I got to work on multiple aspects of filmmaking.

If you had the opportunity to go back in time and change something in any particular movie that you had worked -- which movie and what changes will you make?
Also Gethu. During the editing of Gethu, some scenes got removed. I feel that the presence of those sequences would have made the film more interesting.

Who’s a director you dream of working with? 
Gautham Menon. If it happens, I can proudly say that I learnt filmmaking from the Menons (laughs).

Are you star-struck? 
I was, when PC Sreeram worked with us on Remo. I was totally star-struck.

What are your future and upcoming projects? 
I am working on the script of a romance. I am also developing a crime thriller.

Debut films are often the result of compromises. What are you willing to compromise on?
No compromise on the soul of the story and the script. I don't mind compromising on the budget. 

What's the dream cast of your debut film?
Vijay Sethupathi. He has the right combination of mass and class.

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