It makes sense that a Gautham Vasudev Menon interview happens in an upmarket coffee shop in one of Chennai’s more posh localities. It could have happened anywhere else, and the conversation might have flowed with the same ease. But an interaction with Gautham has a different ‘feel’ when the glow of the sun is just filtering through pristine glass windows, there is a faint din of classical music playing in the cafe speakers, and there is a glass of overpriced coffee on the table.

Now, that is the image we have of Gautham, but what does he make of himself just days away from celebrating his 25th year as a filmmaker? “These days, I'm believing a lot more in the concept of energy, the universe,  and all that stuff. It's not a spiritual feeling, but more of an understanding of the energy around people. And honestly, I don’t take myself too seriously, either. Turning 50 changes you a lot, I guess,” says the filmmaker, who has decided to celebrate his silver jubilee in cinema in a rather different way that stays true to the brand GVM.

The filmmaker is putting together Yennodu Vaa Veedu Varaikkum, a musical event featuring some of his frequent collaborators, which will happen on February 1 in Chennai’s Music Academy. In fact, filmmaker Vetri Maaran once said that Gautham redefined the way songs were picturised in cinema, and it is fitting that the milestone is marked by music and not another movie retrospective. “I can’t think of any other way to do it. I came to films because of my love for music. The songs that I heard, the songs that my parents listened to at home, piqued my fascination, and that’s how I started watching a lot of films,” says Gautham, who asserts that narrating stories through lyrics and music is what makes him want to do films.

“This wouldn’t be a one-off thing, either. I want to do a series of such events that are centred on other filmmakers as well, where I bring together singers and musicians, and drive the show by talking about the songs, the films, etc. It’s been a long-term plan, and the wheels are finally in motion.”

In fact, this is an extension of the kind of audio launches that Gautham specialised in having for his films. Who can forget the interaction between the filmmaker and Maestro Ilaiyaraaja as they launched the music album of Neethaane En Ponvasantham along with an 80-piece orchestra? “We did it for Minnale, and Kaakha Kaakha, too. The singers who sang in the Kaakha Kaakha album performed at the Devi Theatre for the launch. And then, for the next film, we had it in Sathyam, and then Neethaane happened with that grand orchestra,” says the filmmaker, who believes the masters of the craft before him ensured his love for music and the way songs are picturised in cinema was always close to his heart.

“I’ve seen it happen in films of Balu Mahendra sir, Mahendran sir, Mani Ratnam sir, and Bharathiraja sir. They often tell stories through their songs. The challenge is to not just take the story forward, but also to not allow the audience to get up and take a break. All I tried to do was to use music to drive a story forward.”

That is exactly what Gautham did with his films, right from Minnale to Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse. Be it romantic films, action-packed cop stories, or gangster films, or an investigative dramedy, music continues to be the foundation on which Gautham builds his vision. “If at all there is resistance about the kind of treatment I want to give my films, it comes from me. In fact, after a screening of Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu, I asked Mani (Ratnam) sir if the songs bothered him, and he said, ‘Songs are meant to be there.’ I got my affirmation from my guru… what else do I need?”

While this need for validation is reserved only for people he looks upto, Gautham has also been at the receiving end of a lot of criticisms and trolls for various decisions. Be it the delay in the release of his films, especially Dhruva Natchathiram, or his acting choices, or his support of singer Karthik, who was accused of sexual harassment, Gautham has been clear about his stance on various issues.

“See, I’ve put forth my opinions about it right when they happened. So, if the issue is still reasonable, or if it is snowballing into something unreasonable, I would have something to say. But honestly, I don’t let it affect me,” says the filmmaker, who points out that staying away from social media has also helped in having a clear head and conscience. “Since I am not on social media, I only know what reaches me through my team. If it is something that isn’t in my control, all I can do is ignore and move on.” 

Talking to someone who has spent over 25 years in the industry also means there are sudden detours that come out of nowhere. Having referred to him as Gautham throughout the interview, a question about the madam/sir culture in the cinema industry came up. For instance, an Adam Driver, who was not even born when Martin Scorsese made Raging Bull, calls him Marty. “It is not like the stars are expecting to be referred to as ‘sir’ or ‘madam,’ but it just happens, I guess. Of course, when I meet an Ajith or a Vijay, there is a casual approach. But yeah, many times in an interview, I’d have said Ajith at one point, and Ajith sir at another point. It is just how our cinema and the interview culture are wired, I guess,” says Gautham, who points out that he always insists his assistants call him by his name.  

With many of his assistants having made a name for themselves as independent directors, Gautham does feel pride in their journey, and interestingly enough, is wary about talking about his own legacy. “I feel it is too early,” says the filmmaker with a smile, and takes a moment to collect his thoughts. “I think I want to be remembered as somebody who was musical about his work.”

But does he remember how it was as an assistant trying to get Minnale, his first film, mounted? A project that was put together at the turn of the new millennium, which gave Tamil cinema a new voice that would go on to define romance, action, and everything in between for years to come.

“After I moved away from Rajiv (Menon) sir, I was trying to figure out my own work, and it was a chance meeting with Madhavan in an elevator that turned things around. In many ways, it is about being in the right place at the right time, and having strong communication skills,” says Gautham, who doesn’t mince words when asked about whether Minnale has really stood the test of time. “It is art, right? What we do now might not be accepted in the future. So, I don’t think we should judge art out of context. If we do so, art becomes obsolete. You just need to have a certain line… but who even draws these lines?” asks the filmmaker.

While the film went on to become a superhit, and the songs continue to be chartbusters, the conversations surrounding the film on social media touch upon the concept of gaslighting and whether the lead character was given a raw deal. “But even when he’s rooting for her or hanging outside her house, he was very decent about it. These were questions we actually discussed with the team even back then. Even when the hero is rejected by the heroine, he only breaks into a sad song and doesn’t do anything untoward. When we brought this up with Maddy during discussions, he was very clear that the approach was decent. What I’m trying to say here is we were very aware of what we were doing, so there is no point judging. See, your art is different from my art. Your understanding is different from mine, and art should be seen for what it is. For instance, even a few filmmakers said that my short from Putham Pudhu Kaalai was too elitist, but are we going to say such stories don’t happen at all?”'

While art is truly subjective, and so are our responses towards any piece of art, one can’t deny that the social media narrative continues to play a huge part in audience perception. We are living in a time when optics matters a lot, and public scrutiny has increased multifold. But Gautham is clear that it doesn’t affect the way he writes his films. In fact, his strongest moral compass is stationed very close to him, at his own residence. “What really matters is what my mum will say. So, if at all I cross a line or there’s a fleeting thought, I think of her or my sons. But again, when it comes to the depiction of violence in my films, I would do it if I feel it has to be done in a certain way. Certifications won’t deter me.” 

But, over the years, there’s been another ‘C’ word that has constantly been a roadblock to his career: Commerce. “Cinema is all about commerce, Avinash. It’s not just an important thing, but the ONLY thing,” says a pragmatic Gautham, who has no qualms admitting that he does need a certain star value for mounting his vision. “In fact, it is the need for stars that restricts me sometimes. I have a sequel to Dhruva Natchathiram ready, but I don’t know if Vikram would do it. He might do it after the film releases, but it is not like I can pitch it to him now, right? So, in my head, I’m thinking if I should take it to someone else. There are a couple of young actors in my mind, but they are not stars, and I won’t get the money that I need for the film."

In fact, Gautham points out that the pressure of scale meeting vision also means another 'C' comes into the picture: Compromise. "So, I have a love story that would really work with a newcomer. I’ve got everybody lined up, including Rahman sir. But again, to open up the purse a little, I need a certain star value. However, everywhere I go, Dhruva Natchathiram, which has cleared all decks, continues to weigh on my projects. Things will clear very soon,” says the filmmaker, who signs off by talking about the one thing that he thinks encompasses the idea of Gautham Vasudev Menon. “I feel people have misunderstood me. So, why don’t we just have a conversation to understand why I am being misunderstood?”