Vishnu Edavan: As a fan I was disappointed by the 'Naa Ready' censorship but rules exist for a reason

Actor Vijay’s Leo was released last Thursday and you could see the frenzied celebrations of the fans in the theatres when the 'Naa Ready' song came on the screens. The track, written by Vishnu Edavan with rap portions by Asal Kolaar and vocals by Vijay and Anirudh, was released months before the film and has been dominating the playlist of millions. However, the fans were in for a surprise when they realised that much of the lyrics had been censored for the theatrical version. While the disgruntled fans registered their disappointment and criticised the censorship for suppressing artistic expression, the lyricist himself sees it differently.

“As a fan, when I watched the song in the theatre, I was of course disappointed," says Vishnu, before continuing, “But we have to abide by the rules. Censorship exists for a reason. If there was no censorship, imagine the kind of content that could come out. The rules are there for a reason so I understand where they are coming from.” When asked if the censor board was extra scrupulous because a big star like Vijay was involved, Vishnu gets candid. “Having worked in a Vijay sir film before (Master), you kind of anticipate obstacles and controversies. It's a surprise only if everything goes smoothly,” he shares with a laugh, adding, “We don’t see actors as actors and politicians as politicians. The film wants to convey that Leo is singing “Naa ready thaan varava,” but for the audience, it is Vijay sir saying, “Naa ready thaan varava.” The audience perceives it differently, so it is understandable why the censor board wanted to cut certain lines.”

While Tamil cinema music is not new to facing the axe of the censor board, what felt unusual about the Naa Ready song was the fact that the censored lines were replaced with meaningless placeholders like 'Tow Tow' instead of lyrics. On why he never chose to write new lines for the edited version, Vishnu says, “Ever since it was released, the audience were vibing to the studio version and we didn’t want to create a new version and confuse the people. It was a conscious decision from all of us to go with the theatrical version. At the end of the day, it is a Vijay sir song, so no matter what, it is going to play loud in all corners, so we weren’t worried about that.”

While he is certainly one of the most sought-after lyricists in town now, Vishnu started out wanting to be a director. He began his film career as an associate director with Lokesh Kanagaraj in Kaithi and has written songs in Master and Vikram as well. And he confirms that he will be reuniting with Lokesh for his next with Rajinikanth, tentatively titled Thalaivar 171. However, things are picking up steam on the directorial front too. “This lyricist gig is just a part of my career and I am actively working on my first film now. We have a producer and I will share news about my directorial debut soon.”