Bottle Radha team interview: I have decided to do more lead roles from now

Dhinakaran Sivalingam describes his debut directorial, Bottle Radha, as a prison break drama, except, this comedy-drama about an alcohol addict, is more about an internal prison. "Years ago, during a chat with my friends, they light-heartedly recounted a real life story about a person they knew who was admitted in an alcohol rehabilitation centre and escaped days later, prison break style. This sparked the idea for Bottle Radha," says the director.

Dhinakaran's decision to approach the film from a psychological perspective shines through in his understanding of the deeper mechanism of addiction. He says, "At the end of the day, alcohol addiction is a hard-to-break habit, which means it's a culmination of several psychological factors, more so than the external ones." Apart from a guttural portrayal of how an alcohol addict ruins his own life along with those around him, Bottle Radha also maintains a humorous approach for most of the film. On the decision to balance a sensitive subject through the lens of a comedy-drama, Dhinakaran points to Charlie Chaplin and how his films often portray tragedy and speak of hard-hitting humanist values in a lighthearted and entertaining manner.

While the director wanted to infuse a calculated amount of levity into the film, Guru Somasundaram, who plays the titular Radha Mani in the film, was cautious not to make his character a comical stereotype of a drunk man. Guru says, "I was intent on avoiding 'drunk acting', which involves over-the-top slurring in the speech and staggering walk. If you observe, people who drink a lot would have learned how to not show their drunkenness." He then adds, "I was inspired by Malayalam actor Ayyappa Baiju." Guru also explains how the film does not rely on jokes and that the humour is largely situational. Dhinakaran interjects to add, "Apart from the things he decided not to do, Guru sir also added tremendously to the characterisation. He worked along with the makeup team to ensure the changes in the skin tone and the bloodshot eyes, which happens after heavy drinking." The director reveals how the cast went through intense acting rehearsals for 25 days before filming.

Sanchana Natarajan, who plays Radha Mohan's wife Anjalam in the film, comments on how understanding the character helped her empathise with someone who is struggling to come out of a traumatic environment. She says, "We all like to say 'I'm not perfect, I'm a human after all', but I'm not sure if we truly believe in that and accept our flaws. Anjalam helped me realise that if we truly want to recover from a trauma, only we can do that. The change must come from within." On whether playing an intense character like Anjalam, who goes through a world of suffering and disrespect due to her alcoholic husband, was emotionally draining, Sanchana says, "A person close to me lost their life due to alcohol and playing Anjalam served as a cathartic means to relieve that psychological stress I was holding on to." Guru adds, "Even as it deals with a number of intense emotions and heavy themes, Bottle Radha ends on a hopeful note."

Dhinakaran points to how the films that inspired him to make Bottle Radha, like Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, also have the shining light of hope as their central theme. "I watch The Shawshank Redemption at least once a year and I've read the original script of Shawshank Redemption a couple of times," says the director. Perhaps, his proclivity to study screenplays, is why the director keeps on-set improvisations to a minimum. Dhinakaran says, "I like to follow the script because we spend years developing it. I don't argue with actors on set because they mean well." He then adds, "I let them do what they want and cut it out on the editing table," as the team bursts into laughter.

As a writer himself, Guru understands Dhinakaran's decision to stick to the script. He says, "I am currently writing a script, which I plan to direct. It's a subversion of the police-robber story archetype in which the robber chases the police instead, demanding to be arrested." Bottle Radha has also made the actor rethink his career strategy. As someone who is known for headlining critically acclaimed films like Joker, Guru Somasundaram also appeared in a number of supporting roles. "I have a problem saying no to people. Which makes the audience and filmmakers confused about what kind of roles to expect from me. I have decided to do more lead roles from now," says a resolute Guru.