'I don't wish to establish a signature style for myself,’ says Brinda

Choreographer-director Brinda, who explored relationships and second chances in her debut, Hey Sinamika, has dealt with contrasting, darker themes like crime and punishment in her new prison-break thriller, Thugs, that got released this Friday. She sees her directorial experimentation as a natural consequence of the variety of work she does as a choreographer. "When I work on something new, I get excited. For that reason, I ensure that I don't constantly work on dance numbers with the same emotion." Brinda shares that she has choreographed over 2,000 songs but isn’t quite sure of the exact number. "I never stopped to look back. Perhaps it's time to document all my work, at least to relive the memories. There were times when I worked on projects without even knowing the name of the director or the film. I have always been on the run."

But one thing that hasn't changed in her three-decade-long career is her measure of success. "Nimmadhiyana saapaadu, nimmadhiyaana thookam! If I am able to savour that after a long day of work, that is an absolute success." The choreographer-filmmaker found this happening throughout her shooting of Thugs. "I have also acquired a new-found love and respect for stuntmen and actors who do stunts. While shooting, I asked the actors not to wear slippers during all the fights, as the setting is a prison. This was hard, and yet, Hridhu, Bobby, Suresh and even Munishkanth gave their all for the stunts. It was challenging to shoot a realistic fight, but when we wrapped up work, we felt a joy that can't be expressed in words."

She shares that the experience of collaborating with stunt choreographers previously for some songs, came in handy while shooting Thugs. "Songs like Kattravai Pattravai (Kaala) gave me the chance to observe stunt choreographers in close proximity. Dance and stunt have their common grounds in coordination and rhythm, but people can get severely injured while performing a stunt, and so, their sacrifice is incomparable." Another practice that she inherited from her career in choreography is the idea of rehearsals. "I made sure all the actors had multiple rehearsals of a scene before facing the camera. The first round of rehearsals usually happens at my home, and the second one is on the sets, right before the take," she says.

While most choreographers are known for their signature moves, Brinda doesn't believe in having any—and she applies the same formula to her directorials as well. "I don't want to establish a signature voice with my cinema and get typecast as a certain kind of filmmaker.  I wish to experiment with all genres out there. My guru Mani (Ratnam) sir is a great inspiration for me in this area. If he can make drastically different films, so can I."

The performance of Hridhu Haroon, the lead of Thugs has been widely lauded by the audience, but people had their reservations when the project was announced with a new face. "Not many know that he is a trained actor and dancer. I was surprised too, to see him perform. The character of Sethu demanded a young performer with expressive eyes, and I found Hridhu to be a perfect fit for it. He shows nonchalant ‘gethu’."

Brinda went with a majorly female-led technical crew for her debut, Hey Sinamaka, but in Thugs, the equation has been reversed. The frame is full of men, and so is the technical crew, like in any average gangster film. Could she have turned the tables and done a movie about female gangsters? "I wish(laughs). But this is a remake of the Malayalam hit, Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil (2018). I think that I have struck a gender balance in a way. Hey Sinamika had two female leads; so, I felt it is okay to make a film with just the boys."

Just like Thugs, Hey Sinamaka too was an adaptation (A Boyfriend for My Wife). "It was just a coincidence. I don't have a writer in me, so I just pick the best from scripts that come my way. When writers pitch good stories, I can't refuse them."

Right now, Brinda plans to shift her focus to choreography. "I am swamped with work across the country. I have pending commitments and I don't think I would be able to direct another film right away," she says, but promises to return to direction. "If I come across a script that will give me nimmadhiyaana saapaadu and nimmadhiyaana thookam, I am game!"