Director Arun Varma: Garudan might get a sequel

Worldwide, thrillers perhaps enjoy the most popularity among all the film genres. But making a good thriller is no easy business. It is one genre where the audience tends to get too prejudiced as they always want to be one step ahead of the film. With increasing exposure to content from across the globe, the challenges for filmmakers attempting thrillers have only gone uphill. Arun Varma, however, has managed to conquer these challenges to a large extent with his debut film Garudan, starring Biju Menon and Suresh Gopi. The film, which was released last week, opened to a largely positive response. "I didn't expect it to be so overwhelming. In fact, people who know me also didn't expect such a good output from me," says the filmmaker, who started his career as an assistant to Major Ravi before moving on to the world of ad films. Besides directing ads for major corporate firms, Arun also owns an ad film production house, which, according to him, is his "bread and butter" because "cinema doesn't always pay." However, Arun's heart always fluttered for cinema...

Excerpts

What incited you to make Garudan as your feature debut?

I had earlier tried to put together a few other projects, but nothing materialised. By 2015, I reached a point where I wanted to do at least one film, just to prove myself. I started looking for good content and that's when Jinesh, a law college professor, came to me with this outline. We spent around 3-4 years researching and finalised the screenplay. In 2019, we pitched it to producer Listin Stephen and he took it forward from there.

How did Midhun Manuel Thomas come into the picture?

The project was initiated after both the production house and the artists were impressed with our original content. However, since we had been working on the idea since 2015, we were concerned that it was getting outdated and felt the need for a revamp. Luckily, Listin got us to discuss it with some big names from the industry, including Midhun, who sensed a lot of potential in the script. He did a fabulous job of doctoring the script, that too in just under two months. There's a huge difference between what it was and what it is today.

Could you elaborate more on his inputs?
 
Our basic thread and the courtroom proceedings were retained as such, but he played around with the screenplay structure. With our limited experience, we had envisioned it as an authentic, serious cinema, but Midhun commercialised it by making it more engaging and entertaining. The tail-end was also solely his contribution, and that's why his credits come after that. We felt he deserved that moment.

The courtroom portions, especially during the retrial, seemed a bit hurried...

Fair point, but if you observe closely, it doesn't happen overnight and spans over a period of time. We didn't register the passage of time because we felt it would affect the pace and thought such details wouldn't contribute much to the overall entertainment factor. It was done deliberately to avoid the "lag feeling", which people complain about a lot these days.

Similarly, many felt the DNA collection drive, which is a major turning point in the film, was too far-fetched...

It's natural for some to think, 'What nonsense is this.'  But just to clarify, DNA profiling has been there for several years now, and is not something that we invented. It's a fun thing among youngsters, particularly in foreign countries, to contribute towards creating a DNA database. It helps them identify their bloodline and who their closest relative is around the world. There have also been several instances of people reuniting with their long-lost siblings. Though it's not common in India, there still are a few companies that do this and create a repository. Earlier, we didn't know fingerprints are unique and they can be used to solve crimes. Likewise, this is also a possibility, which will hopefully be prevalent in the future.

Was it challenging to accommodate two big stars in this dense narrative?
 
Our initial idea was to make a small-scale, content-driven film, but Listin saw the possibility of making this a dual-hero film. We first approached Biju ettan for the cop character, but he insisted on doing the professor role. It was a huge risk for him, considering how conservative a section of our audience is. Once he agreed, we wanted someone who could match his stature and complement him, but without overshadowing. That's when we thought of approaching the only policeman in the industry—Suresh ettan. He liked the idea and was immediately on board. But bringing together two busy actors is always a challenge. It's not because of their tantrums or starry airs, but pure logistical issues. Personally, it was a little intimidating because I've grown up watching these two greats. It's not easy asking them to do something like I wanted it. But their approach was humbling and made me feel comfortable. If I couldn't communicate something properly, they were able to understand it as a newcomer's nervousness.

At any point, did you think of a role reversal?

Not really. But interestingly, Suresh ettan had also expressed his desire to do the professor role. If he had done it, I'm sure the character would've got a whole new dimension. He is a tremendous actor, who often gets trapped in his superstar aura. I believe his real potential hasn't been utilised yet, so I would've loved to see how he might've interpreted Nishanth's character. That said, Biju ettan is equally brilliant. His range of performances in the last few years has been amazing. He was daring enough to attempt this role, despite knowing the 'family audience-actor' image associated with him.

***Spoilers ahead***  

With Suresh Gopi, it's a given that he'll have his glory moment in the end. Did you feel his superstar presence would negate the unpredictability factor?

Ultimately, we know Suresh Gopi can't make a mistake. But a Biju Menon also can't lie. So we asked ourselves, "Why would the audience look forward to the second half?." When we took this script around to seek opinions, we got our answers. Even some renowned writers thought there's a third party involved, and that these two would join hands to nab him. Another interesting thought was about the presence of a twin brother because the DNA matched. These theories made us more confident about our product.

Being a Suresh Gopi fanboy, was it tempting to play to the gallery?

It's very unfortunate that I had to do a Suresh Gopi film without showing him as Suresh Gopi. I could've presented him in a larger-than-life role, but it would've been an injustice to the script which demanded his grounded persona. It would've been possible if the film had been made 5-7 years back, but the current audience is more sensitive and evolved. I don't think they would be impressed with such run-of-the-mill stuff anymore. I'm not saying Garudan is not a formulaic film. But we've also attempted a lot of fresh ideas, which is mandatory today.

For a film that deals with such grave crimes, it is commendable that you didn't picturise any of them...

It was a decision I had taken in 2015 itself when we started working on this idea. The subject is originally inspired by Aruna Shanbuag's case. She was a nurse who got brutally assaulted, as a result of which she slipped into Coma for over 40 years. Her assaulter however was freed in 14 years and continued living happily. It angered me. While the person who gets violated endures excruciating trauma forever, the violator is out there free. I wondered about the efficiency of our legal system and the effectiveness of these corrective measures. The bigger question was, "Will a rapist be reformed?" I realised how our laws regarding rape are archaic. I don't think such people can be reformed with just a prison term. We need better corrective measures. Rape is not just physical overpowering, it's also psychological. Like Osho said, no other animal rapes another animal. So, there's something unnatural about it. It's an extremely cruel act that shouldn't be glorified. If my film is against it, the best way to depict it is not to show it all, right?

In that sense, wasn't it tricky to include the creepy monologue in the end?

It was because the rapist is reliving and relishing those barbaric moments. I agree the description was a bit too graphic, but I also think it's fair because we somehow had to convey the amount of brutality this guy is capable of.

Could you walk us through the filming of that sequence...

When Biju ettan said he's doing Nishanth's character, I didn't have a vision of how he will be approaching the final segment. His performances of late have been unpredictable, and yet exceptional. He never goes overboard. So, I trusted him and went to shoot it with complete blindness. I hardly had any corrections as he delivered a finely measured performance. Suresh ettan's presence was also vital. It was exactly similar to the Nagavally moment, where the other person's inner demon wakes up, and his reactions had to be precise. With his experience, he knew how to play it subtly, only to outscore the next moment. It was magical watching the two perform.
 
The film has a sequel potential...

We haven't arrived at anything concrete, yet but there are possibilities as the ending suggests. Right now, I'm working on some 'big things'. It took me so long to make a film, so I don't want to ruin whatever I've earned with it.