Priyadarshan: I've spent more time with the camera than my family

Over the last few years, there's been a trend in Indian cinema—particularly in the South—to fix a tentative title for films before the actual one gets announced amidst much fanfare. Thanks to our history of star worship, these tentative titles are almost always named after the film's lead actor. Thalapathy 68, SSMB 29, Yash 19... But how would it be if directors also get their due? Imagine an auteur like Priyadarshan, who is closing in on the three-figure mark, getting his landmark film titled P 100. Sounds cool, right? Having worked with the who's who of Indian cinema in a career spanning over four decades, one might think numbers don't matter to him anymore. But that's not true. "I've been in the industry for 42 years now. I've done the most number of Hindi films after David Dhawan. Right now, I'm anxious about my 100th film," says the veteran.

With just a few more films to get to the coveted mark, Priyadarshan is still busy experimenting. His latest release Appatha, which marks his comeback to Tamil cinema after five years, is a heartwarming story of a dog-human relationship. In this conversation, the director shares his love for experimenting and evading expectations.

Excerpts

In your glorious career, punctuated with films of various genres, this is the first time you're working with an animal... 

Yes, that was one of the main attractions to take up this film. I always love attempting something new because there'll invariably be some challenge. Here, the biggest challenge was getting the dynamics between Urvashi and the dog right. We got an intelligent, well-trained Belgian Shepherd to play the part of Zeus. The character demands him to go through a lot of mood swings, and it wasn't easy to get those emotions from him. It's not like you're instructing a human. Another funny thing is, like her character in the film, Urvashi is afraid of dogs in real life as well. She had her concerns initially, but they both soon struck a bond and it reflected wonderfully on screen. After a few days, I even forgot he was an animal and started interacting with him like just another actor. We shot for around 30 days and by then, he became very close to all of us. I still remember how emotional the entire unit was on his last day of shoot.
 
Since you own a dog, you must be familiar with their changing moods and mannerisms...

As a child, I was extremely afraid of dogs after I got bitten by one. But that fear subsided after almost ten years when we got a dog at our home. I grew fond of him and since then, I've raised several of them. I'm well aware of their preferences, the food to be fed, and even their slightest mood changes. All that knowledge helped me immensely while scripting this film.

Appatha has an universally appealing plot. What prompted you to make it in Tamil?

When Jio approached me with this project, I wasn't interested in doing it in Hindi as I'm not familiar with the culture. I would have needed someone else to adapt it for me. But I was so impressed with the story (by Hardik Gajjar) that I wanted to develop its screenplay on my own. I couldn't imagine it in Malayalam also because the story is about a woman from a remote village without any exposure to the outside world. The naivete and innocence of a person from a remote location was crucial for this story. Kerala doesn't have such remote villages anymore. I felt it was apt for a Tamil setting. Another main reason is the dearth of efficient actors to pull off such a role. If ever there was one person in the whole of Indian cinema, it was Urvashi. She has mastered the art of comedy. I went ahead with this project only after she promised me the dates. I wouldn't have done this film if not for her.

While doing Appatha, were you aware that it's her 700th film?

Yes, in fact, it was Urvashi who suggested doing it as her 700th film. She knew it would be a memorable role, and wanted to reserve it for her landmark film. She is just a few films away from surpassing Prem Nazir's tally of 725 films. It's no joke for an artist to stay relevant for so long. There was a time when she used to be the reigning superstar in all major industries, except Hindi. She was sought after for her unmatched versatility. While watching her perform, you know she enjoys the craft. I saw that in our first film together Midhunam (1993), and after all these years, I could see that in Appatha as well.

Amidst all the spectacle-heavy entertainers ruling the roost, what do you think is the future of small-scale films like Appatha?

The scenario right now is such that films like Appatha can't compete with the biggies. They won't have the initial pull, and before the word of mouth spreads, they'll get removed from theatres. So it's better to plan such films for streaming platforms. Ideally, filmmakers should have clarity on the release plans from the beginning. An OTT release also means these films get a global audience where there'll always be a crowd for such pleasing, emotion-driven films.

You've directed some of Indian cinema's best comedies, yet your Tamil films have mostly been of the serious kind...

My first Tamil film Gopura Vaasalile (1991) was a comedy, and it was a big success. But later, I didn't attempt to repeat comedy in Tamil because I didn't want the same stamp on me in every language. That's why I was able to do films like Kanchivaram (2008) in Tamil. Moreover, Tamil cinema had several filmmakers doing comedy at that time. I wanted to stand apart from them. Recently, for Navarasa, Mani Ratnam insisted that I do comedy. When I asked why, he said, "Priyan, your comedies are different from what we regularly see here."

So you're saying, even an accomplished filmmaker like you can't evade being boxed?

Yes, you can't escape that labelling. People will brand us based on our previous work and set certain expectations on us. But it's not always possible to please all sections of the audience. A filmmaker has to overcome all that and push their limits to stay relevant for a longer period.

What propels your longevity?

My insecurity and adaptability. I was always insecure about 'what next'. Most of my peers who were more skilled waned out after a period. It's probably because they didn't update themselves. I could not afford to do it because I didn't know any other job. I've spent more time with my camera than with my family. So I had to keep learning and adapting. Being someone who has seen cinema's evolution from 2C camera to its most modern phase, I had no other option but to constantly chisel my craft.

Even after all these years, do you still have that insecurity?

Definitely. I will always have that insecurity irrespective of it being my 100th or 150th film. It helps me be grounded. I never overtly celebrate my film's success, because it doesn't guarantee the fate of my next. Even if it's a failure, I'll somehow gather myself and try to come back. That's another reason for my longevity.

After the backlash for Marakkar, you said you won't be doing such big-scale films anymore...

You need a lot of energy to do big films. Director Hariharan sir had once advised me to get all my ambitious projects done before I get old. Moreover, I believe these big, fat entertainers don't stand the test of time. People tend to forget such films after the existing euphoria is over. But if a film, irrespective of its scale or cast, can connect with the audience emotionally, it will stay with them forever.

You had plans to make a boxing-based film with Mohanlal. Is it still on?

No. Right now, I wish to do a feel-good film with him. He currently has several projects lined up. Let's see how these films fare and then decide. I'm in no hurry (laughs).