Every story is a reflection of reality. However, there comes a time when a person’s life transcends the bounds of reality and shines as a consummate example of the indomitable human spirit. With Amaran, which is based on the life of Major Mukund Varadarajan, Director Rajkumar Periasamy has taken on the humongous job of bringing such a story on screen. On whether the real-life story had to adapt to the inherent exaggerations of a film’s format, the director says, “No matter how much we try to exaggerate, no matter how hard we train the actors, we cannot match the life of army officers. Even if we try to exaggerate the stories, the real-life stories of these officers far exceed fiction.” Rajkumar goes on to add how Sivakarthikeyan, who plays Major Mukund in the film, was instrumental in bringing the character to life. “Sivakarthikeyan has given a subtle and grounded performance in this film. There are three looks for Sivakarthikeyan in the film. You could see him evolve from a college student and a soldier-in-training to a Major. I don’t mean to heap praise on my own actor but I truly believe that his performance in Amaran will be spoken about for years,” he says.

On the added pressure of bringing a real-life incident to screen, Rajkumar reveals that he always had an inclination towards real-life stories. He says, “My first film Rangoon came out in 2017 and after that, I was working on two other films. One is about a special forces officer and the other one is a gangster drama. Both these stories are based on real-life incidents.” While Amaran is based on Major Mukund, the story also follows his wife Indu Rebecca Varghese, played by Sai Pallavi. The director reveals that her character is as important to the story as Mukund’s character. “If you see the videos of Indhu receiving the Ashok Chakra award for Mukund sir, you can see a stoic person. However, there is a lot of vulnerability beneath all of that. She loves Mukund sir and also his passion. I wanted Sai Pallavi to represent that,” says Rajkumar. According to the director, he needed an actor with the ability to do intense emotional scenes. He says, “I knew Sai Pallavi before I knew Sivakarthikeyan because I was working in television while she performed in reality shows there. There are moments in the film where she has to hold the scene all by herself for a long stretch of time. And I realised that Sai Pallavi would be perfect for that.” The director then recounts Indu Rebecca Varghese’s reaction to seeing Sai Pallavi’s performance. Rajkumar says, “When we released Sai Pallavi’s promo video, I got a call from Indu. She told me that it felt like she was reliving her past and wanted to convey her thanks to Sai Pallavi.”

As a filmmaker fully committed to authenticity, Rajkumar avoided filming on sets and took his cast and crew to Kashmir, the place where the events of the film unfolded in real life. “Kashmir is a difficult terrain,” he says. “It is a politically charged zone with widespread military presence. Even though it has a lot of tourist places, we had to shoot in the places where there is still tension because the story demanded that. I wanted the biopic to be as real as possible and we had to get permission from the Ministry of Defence. First I had to submit my script to them and get it approved, including the locations. Then they made provisions to take our team to the places and show us around. They assigned officers to take care of us and were very supportive. Thankfully, they watched the film and appreciated it," says an elated Rajkumar. With such devoted attention to portraying the life of a soldier, it is inevitable that the military life and by extension, the doctrines it stands for might also seep into the story. However, the director maintains that his focus was solely on portraying the life of Major Mukund and nothing beyond that. “Amaran is not a film about war nor is it keen on showing what happens on a battlefield. This is a slice-of-life story about a soldier. I was conscious not to thrust any of my political ideologies into the film. You will see Mukund sir’s incredible life journey and I am sure it will resonate with everybody,” signs off a confident Rajkumar.