'I originally planned for Uriyadi to have a negative ending'

Uriyadi, the 2016 independent political thriller that was noted for its in-your-face depiction of violence, received a lot of critical appreciation upon release. However, for Vijay Kumar, the film's director, star, and producer, seeing his work finally bear fruit on the big screen was a bittersweet journey. He didn’t know at the time that it was not just about releasing a film but also making it stay in theatres. Ahead of the release of his second film, Uriyadi 2, Vijay Kumar talks to us about how he came to make his first film, and about the journey this time around.

Release vs Stay

“Watching a film during mixing and in preview theatres, and watching it with the general audience in the confines of a cinema hall, are very different things. For Uriyadi, uyira thavira ellame kuduthen. But I could only do so much. Though reviews were positive across the board, in the third week of its theatrical run, I personally had to call up distributors and tell them I wanted to release the film regardless of the size of the theatre. I just wanted to create an opportunity for audiences to see the film. I don’t want to play the blame game, but theatres have to help out. Even now, audiences first select a theatre and then pick a film to watch there. Like voting, they choose from among what is offered to them.” 

Trauma vs Return

“The trauma lasted one full month. Only after word of mouth spread, thanks to piracy, I understood that my target audience, the youth, had loved it. I picked myself up and started writing Uriyadi 2, the first version of which I finished in March 2017. Between then and the start of 2018, when I met RD Rajasekar (Head of 2D Entertainment, which has co-produced Uriyadi 2), I was receiving acting offers. I got around 20 hero offers, some related to caste politics, but largely romantic roles. I don’t even know why they pitched these to me of all people. But I was still invested in Uriyadi 2's script. Raja sir liked it and asked me to narrate it to Suriya, who also liked it. That is how this project went on floors.”

A vs U

“When the censor committee watched Uriyadi, they asked me why I had to go and make a feature-length film when I could have made a short film about caste or caste politics. It stung. But this censor board cleared Uriyadi 2 without a single cut and gave it a U certificate. Yes, it's true that 2D has made only U certificate films, but I didn’t make any creative compromises for Uriyadi 2. The first film needed the characters to behave a certain way and so we got the A certificate. This one didn’t. If the story demands it, I don’t mind making a film five times more violent than Uriyadi. I will do so unapologetically.”

80s vs 2010s

“Bharathiyar is a mahakavi but the songs of his I'd heard were largely peaceful in nature. But there is a lot of anger in his writings too which I wanted to showcase. You could see that anger in 80s films like Varumayin Niram Sivappu. I wanted to introduce it to a newer generation. Agni Kunjondru is the only original song we composed for Uriyadi, and it is essentially the gist of the film, but we couldn't fit it in in its entirety. We teased the song with just the BGM at two important moments (the interval block and climax) before featuring it over the end credits because we wanted the audience to leave the theatre with the fire in their hearts.”

BGM – Then and Now

“I cut the original BGM myself; the whole process took 8 months. A music director could probably have done it faster. That is solved with Govind in this film. I wanted to work with him on Uriyadi but couldn’t. I approached him after the shooting was done and we've got three songs this time around too, with a bonus poem track that will be released on Friday. All the songs are shot as montages. Iraiva is the most moving and my personal favourite. Govind is a magician with the violin.”

1999 vs 2019

“The first film was set in 1999 and this is set in current times. Uriyadi 2 is not a proper sequel; it's more of a spiritual sequel. I've reused the name and character of Lenin Vijay. Unlike the original, there is a background to him in this film. He has graduated from college and is working now. He sees the real world for what it is – riddled with caste politics, corruption, and capitalistic cronyism. There is also a romantic track, but it serves the story. If the harassment of his crush set the events of Uriyadi in motion, here his love interest’s thought process shapes his actions.”

Political activism vs Politically awareness

“As college students, studies are the most important but you can’t be politically agnostic. You don't have to be politically active, but you have to be politically aware. Youth are the most powerful tool for politicians. So I want them to think through every decision and be aware to avoid being exploited.”

Optimism vs Realism

“I originally planned for Uriyadi to have a negative ending. But I decided against it. I am a very positive person and I believe my films should reflect that too. In Urimai (a song in Uriyadi 2), the lyric goes 'Mudivilla porattam', but that is just a reflection of the reality of the times we are living in. I don’t think a solution is far away.”

Uriyadi vs Uriyadi 2

“The original was 90 minutes long while this one is just shy of two hours. While the primary motive of Uriyadi was to showcase caste politics, I did that largely in the first half and the climax. The rest of the film was a showcase for my craft and my love for what I call pure cinema. In Uriyadi 2, the craft is secondary. I just wanted to tell an important, truthful, and powerful story about the basic necessities of human existence. A story that will occupy a small portion of your mind long after you leave the cinema hall.”