Arvindh Srinivasan, who is back to the director's chair after the 2022 Arulnithi-starrer Dejavu, reveals that his recent film Tharunam started during a conversation with an old friend. He says, “One day, a friend of 18 years, whom I worked with in IT, came to meet me for a casual conversation. He asked me about my next commitments; I told him I had different ideas, and he immediately volunteered to help turn one of them into a film. We did not know it would be Tharunam back then.” The filmmaker adds, “Everything happens momentarily in life and the film, hence the title, Tharunam.”
Starring Kishen Das, Smruthi Venkat, and Raj Ayyappa,Tharunam is a romance drama. On why he chose to shift genres after making an intense thriller Dejavu, the director explains, “I got many similar offers, but I declined them because I do not want to be branded a thriller director." However, Arvindh does not think Tharunam is a big shift in genre. “Tharunam starts as a conventional drama, then enters into a romantic zone, and proceeds towards a completely new territory towards the end,” he shares. According to the filmmaker, this is a day and age where a love story with a direct screenplay structure will not reach a majority of audiences. Emphasising the unexpected elements in the film, he asserts, “Each film should be told in a unique way. I enjoy films that are structured like puzzles and do not reveal the story in a straightforward manner. I am often asked whether it is necessary to make something complicated, but that excites me and that excitement spills over to my team as well.”
He elaborates on this point with a reference to a Mani Ratnam classic. “For example, in Alaipayuthey, what if Mani sir tried to tell the episode of Arvind Swamy and Khushboo as one story, before and after the accident? We have seen the post-accident stretch, but if their individual stories were told parallelly before it and they intertwine somewhere, it would be entirely different yet still interesting.” Kishen Das adds to his director’s take on telling a story through different perspectives. “You can still edit Tharunam again from any character’s perspective and it will still work. Each of their perspectives is revealed at different points in the film. I think that makes it a bit more interesting.”
Before Tharunam, Kishen preferred roles in coming-of-age films or characters he could easily relate to. However, he says, “Tharunam gave me the confidence to explore more as an actor because I have done dance and stunt sequences for this film, which is beyond my comfort zone.” He adds, “After Tharunam, I have done a film (Eerapadham Kaatru Mazhai) that has a single-shot fight sequence. It is a hyperlink film, also starring Vetri. I play a robber in the film and every character in it is morally ambiguous.”
On the other hand, Raj Ayyappa says, “Smruthi and I have play characters who have constant conflicts with each other. However, I do not have any proper fights, like Kishen does here.” Raj has also done grey characters and antagonistic roles in films, besides regular supporting roles. However, on the series front, the actor has done a character in Uppu Puli Kaaram, which he says is “almost like a lead” and “happier and more relatable to the audience” than his other roles. He adds, “All these characters give people a different perspective about me. I am not just those serious, angry characters that I have done until now.”
Raj reveals how an encounter with actor Ajith led to his acting debut with the film 100. Reminiscing about the conversation, the actor says, “Before I did my first film, I was interning at Suresh Chandra sir’s office. Suresh Chandra sir and my father (Amaravati star Bhanu Prakash) have known each other for a long time. My father met him when I was in college and told him that I was in cinema and would like to work with him. Suresh sir called Ajith sir that day, and Ajith sir recommended that I take up acting provided I have that ‘right attitude for it.’” Raj adds, “After my debut, I wanted to work on Vaalimai as an AD, but Ajith sir had me cast in the film.”
Tharunam initially had a limited release because of certification delays, but following a positive audience response, on Wednesday, the makers have decided to go for a wider release soon.