Kondraal Paavam team interview: I look at this remake as an original film, says Varalaxmi

With the advent of OTT platforms in the post-pandemic world, cinema no longer struggles to break language barriers. In a world where films are either dubbed into known languages or come with subtitles, the idea of a remake seems almost irrelevant. But director Dayal Padmanabhan believes they still have value. The director of the Kannada film, Aa Karaala Ratri, Dayal has not only remade it once in Telugu (Anaganaga O Athidhi) but has now remade it once again in Tamil as Kondraal Paavam. He begins by confidently asserting that his film will make a mark. A native of Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, Dayal has predominantly dabbled in Kannada cinema (done 18 films) before his Tamil debut with Kondraal Paavam. Speaking about why it took him 20 years to make his Tamil debut, Dayal says he was waiting to get into Tamil cinema with a good film.

On whether choosing to debut with a remake is a safe decision, he says, "I don't think it is particularly safe. While getting launched as a director of Tamil films, which is my mother tongue, my only idea was to deliver a strong film with good writing and storytelling."

Was there resistance from actors to feature in a remake, when another had already been done in a different language? "In fact, I look at it as a new film altogether, with a fresh new cast," says actor Varalaxmi, the lead of the film. "The way Dayal has treated the film is also different. He has learned a lot from the previous two times he made the film, and I would say our version is the best of the lot."

The story of the film might be the same but the director points out that this isn't a scene-to-scene remake. "I have made changes to suit the nativity, culture and language. Considering this is a period film, the elements of Tamil culture needed to be incorporated in many places."

The film's cast also comprises actors Easwari Rao and Charlee, who play, Varalaxmi's parents. Dayal says, "I did not really care whether or not Easwari Rao, Charlee, and Varalaxmi would combine to make a well-suited family. I thought about whether these actors would suit their individual characters. Once I put together the cast, I worked on ways to show them as a family. Cinema is all about bringing actors together and making them work well."

Varalaxmi speaks about the camaraderie between the various actors. "Easwari ma'am and I have acted together in quite a few Telugu films; we already share a mother-daughter-like bond. With Charlee sir, he has practically seen me grow up. Sometimes, even when not in a shot, he would watch and give me feedback, which is always encouraging for an actor."

Actors in a remake usually face the pressure of reproducing the performance of the actors from the original film or outdoing them. Actor Santhosh Pratap says that he didn't take any special efforts to distinguish his performance from that of the original actors. "For me, it is all about what the director wants. All I focussed on was to suit my acting to the needs of the character."

Varalaxmi did not watch the original when she began filming for Kondraal Paavam. "I did not even want to reproduce the performance of the actors from Aa Karaala Ratri. There are scenes that I have interpreted differently in the film. While the characterisation may be the same, every actor is different and brings something new."

Santhosh Pratap is known for his build and fitness. Speaking about his look in the film, Santhosh recalls this to be the most challenging part of the film. "It was challenging for me to de-glam as my look here is more retro and rooted. We decided upon a look similar to my look in Sarpatta Parambarai, but I was doing other films in which I had to maintain a beard. So, we worked out a look with my beard, that suited the time period. At some point, I felt like I looked similar to Allu Arjun from Pushpa."

While the physicality was challenging for Santhosh, Varalaxmi jokingly shares that she found romancing him challenging. "Jokes apart, romance itself does not come for me easily. It has nothing to do with him," she adds, laughing.

The impact of Kondraal Paavam supposedly lies in its climax. Considering that it is a remake, many would already know the climax, thereby killing the suspense factor. Still, Dayal is confident that many would enjoy this film and the climax. "I believe that even those who watched the Kannada original and the Telugu remake will come back to the theatres to watch this Tamil remake if only to know how well it has been adapted to suit Tamil audiences," he signs off.