Director Gokul: Singapore Saloon is the best film of my career

When two people in cinema, who are known for their comical strengths join hands for a film, one would expect them to do the most obvious: Make a comedy film. Other than ticking the obvious checkbox, director Gokul of Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara fame and RJ Balaji, have also gone on to make a soulful drama with the same film. Gokul describes his latest directorial Singapore Saloon as a film with a lot of heart and laughs, and calls it his best work yet. "In the early days 'Saloon' was a term used for bars, where people unwind and relax after a long day. But as time passed by, hairdressing stations took over the name as people felt refreshed after a haircut or a makeover. With Singapore Saloon, we aim to deliver exactly that kind of refreshing experience."

RJ Balaji, who has taken a break from off-camera duties, says that his upcoming film is something that everyone will relate to, "Singapore Saloon follows the journey of a person who goes after his dream. A few decades back, 45 engineering pass-outs in a class of 50 will end up in fields related to their education and only 5 people experiment with what they like. But now the tables have turned and the majority are willing to pursue the profession they like regardless of their education. Singapore Saloon is a story of one such person."

Gokul shares that his decision to cast Balaji as the lead goes beyond his filmography and performances. "I wanted a face that can represent the common people. Balaji didn't come from a family of affluent personalities, he built his career step by step, all by himself. He has done complete justice to the character." Balaji, on the other hand, shares that it was a great learning curve to work under an experienced director like Gokul, "I have either directed myself as a lead or worked with one-film-old filmmakers as a lead. But Gokul sir, who has worked with names like Vijay Sethupathi and Karthi, was an entirely different game. He has redefined my idea of good acting and has even changed the way I face the camera." Though the duo are visibly happy with the output of Singapore Saloon, they were initially supposed to join hands for a very different film. "He had narrated that script to me a couple of years back," shares Balaji, "I had a great time listening to it and was laughing throughout, but by the end of the narration I felt that the story wouldn't suit me, and several other factors didn't let the film materialize. It was producer Ishari Ganesan sir who insisted that I try Singapore Saloon instead. Even then, I was scared of the scale and budget of the film. But Ganesan sir encouraged me and reassured me that this film will be a sure shot success."

Notably, Gokul has incorporated his observations of hairdressers, who he grew up watching, for Singapore Saloon and feels it is his tribute to them. "The hairdressers I witnessed during my childhood had a lot of style and passion. But they never got their due as hairdressing wasn't considered a sought-after profession back then. However, the trends have changed and they are looked at with a lot of respect and admiration. I know superstars who wait for weeks to get an appointment of a famous hairdresser. My film covers both these extremes," he shares.

Balaji took up training under top hairdressers of the city to get into the skin of his character and learn a few tricks. "Now I know to spin the scissors in multiple styles, thanks to the training. I also learned nuances like looking at the customer's reflection in the mirror instead of looking at them directly. I am confident that the audience will find me convincing as a hairdresser."

Interestingly, Meenakshi Chaudhary the female lead of the film, went on to sign big projects like Mahesh Babu's Guntur Kaaram and Vijay's The Greatest of All Time, while working on Singapore Saloon. Speaking about her, Balaji quips, "She is the 'Java Sundaresan' of our team! What a tremendous growth within a year. I wouldn't mind calling myself the lucky charm as this elevation happened as she was shooting for our film."

Gokul, who is well aware of the comparisons that will arise with Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara, post Singapore Saloon's release, goes on to make this confident statement. "Idharkuthane...was targetted at youngsters and rightfully, audiences from the 16-40 age bracket celebrated it for years. But Singapore Saloon is a film made with a lot of love and everyone in the family is my target audience this time."