Vijay Varadharaj: The first rule of writing comedy is that there are no rules

It is said that a candid spirit is mightier than the most persistent dogmatism. For Vijay Varadharaj, filmmaker and pioneering Tamil YouTuber, candidness is a virtue and one of his chief weapons. "When you put up a facade, you need to worry about being misunderstood and misinterpreted. I am constantly evolving; a clear learning arc is in place. I am not the Vijay Varadharaj of 2020 or 2021 anymore, but it doesn't mean that I don’t own up to what I did during those times," says Vijay, whose long-delayed debut directorial, Pallu Padaama Paathukka (PPP), is all set for release this Friday. He remembers what his mother told him when she learned that the film will finally see the light of day. "Amma was tired. She merely nodded and said she would watch it in the theatres... if it got released."

Multiple delays, some more painful than others, have resulted in Vijay reaching a zen-like place about the project. "This is the fourth round of promotions for the film, and I have told everything there is to know about the project, and now, it is all up to the audience," says the multifaceted talent, who broke new ground with his entry into the world of podcasts. "In fact, even the present hype about PPP is through my podcast where I drop constant reminders about my journey with the film. That audience has already embraced PPP and is so invested in my five-year-long journey."

A zombie thriller, PPP has been categorised as an adult comedy, and Vijay understands that this genre comes with limitations, expectations, and criticism. "I can assure that there are multiple layers in the film—more than in the average adult comedy genre. The reason I made this film is to make people forget their everyday worries and laugh their hearts out. I want PPP to be the comfort film that youngsters always have on their laptops and revisit multiple times," says Vijay, who believes that he is in a healthy mental place that allows him to embrace criticism. "Cinema is a medium where time is never in our hands, but I have the clarity to handle issues and accept that I am learning."

Vijay is not new to criticism about his humour and has faced his share from his Temple Monkeys (his YouTube channel) days. Perspective is everything in humour, and what might be risque for some might feel pedestrian for others. Vijay strongly feels that comedy cannot be created by sticking to rules. "The first rule of comedy is that there are no rules. In noir or horror, there are rules about camera angles. But in comedy, such rules don’t matter. Even a filmmaker like Kamal Haasan employs a lot of wide angles for scenes where there are funny conversations. Of course, while writing, the editing of a film happens in the head. And then, when reading, there is another level of censorship," says Vijay. When asked about the first audience for his work, Vijay begins by ruling off his amma whose first reaction after listening to the title of PPP was apparently 'nee thirundha maate.' The writer-filmmaker swears by his team Temple Monkeys, especially actor Sha Ra. "If he laughs, I am convinced others will too. A lot of people loved the script but were doubtful that it could get translated on screen. Some others doubted that such a film could even get made in Tamil cinema."

Over the years, Vijay has made a name for himself outside the comedy space too, especially after his entry into the world of podcasts. Followers know about the reach of Vijay, who is seen as a reader, a thinker, and above all, a companion for the loners out there. Accepting the unabashed love that comes from the most random corners of the world, Vijay says, "I have received heartfelt messages that run in paragraphs. A lot of people have felt represented. They have felt motivated to break out of society's shackles of toxic masculinity and face their insecurities. In fact, when people know me as a podcaster first, and a YouTuber next, I find it inspiring."

The next step in the journey of Vijay Varadharaj is to be considered a serious filmmaker. "There is a myth that those who do comedy are not smart people. In our reality shows, comedians even get physically harassed in the name of comedy. Such repeated portrayals make people feel surprised when they see a comedian say something serious. I might love jazz music, spout philosophy, read non-fiction, and still write comedy," says Vijay Varadharaj, signing off with trademark candidness. "It’s ridiculous that people think that comedians cannot be intellectuals."

Here's the Vijay Varadharaj Interview on VIDEO: