Direction Dreams: 'Ajith shot with one layer of clothing at -7 degree Celsius'

This weekly column brings to you a promising assistant director, and their aspirations and this week it is Chandru Senthil
Direction Dreams: 'Ajith shot with one layer of clothing at -7 degree Celsius'

Chandru Senthil is an assistant director of Siva and has worked with him on Veeram, Vedalam and Vivegam. He takes care of everything from pre-production to casting.

Why filmmaking? How did your journey commence?
Coming from a family who've been in the industry for a long time, I think it's always been a part of my blood. So I went to Australia and pursued a multimedia course. After this, having always had a fascination for commercial movies, I made the conscious decision to work with a director whose style matched this.

What do you like the most about Siva's school of filmmaking?
I love how he manages to react to a situation with a calm mind and a solution-oriented approach. He never loses his cool when things don’t go as planned.

What did you learn from him?
Artiste management and how to extract work smoothly from people.

What is the best thing about being an AD?
Filmmaking is all about team work, with everyone pitching in with their own areas of expertise. But ADs get to contribute to every department.

Which is the best film you’ve worked on so far, and what were your contributions?
Vivegam. I got the co-director card and made contributions in quite a lot of aspects. It was a big jump for me. I learnt a lot in the process, especially when it comes to CGI.

What’s one area of filmmaking that you are having a tough time with?
CGI. That’s one area where I have to improve by leaps and bounds. Though I learned a lot of lessons from Vivegam, I have still only crossed half the bridge.

Have you been star-struck? By whom, and how did you get over it, if you have?
Ajith. And I don’t think I've gotten out of it. Here is why. I have worked with him ever since Veeram, and he has always been a humble and down-to-earth artiste. Also, I'm awed by his commitment to his work. Imagine working in conditions where the temperature drops as low as -7 degrees with just one layer of clothing! He did that for Vivegam. He's such an inspiring artiste and person.

What are your future and upcoming projects?
I have finished scripting an action film.

Who’s the dream cast of your debut film?
Vijay Sethupathi and Siva Karthikeyan. I've always wanted to work with these two stars.

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