Directing one of the biggest stars in Tamil cinema in what is being billed as his final film, alongside a cast featuring Bobby Deol, Pooja Hegde, Prakash Raj, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Priyamani and several others, might seem like an intimidating task. But H Vinoth believes the challenge wasn't what many would imagine.
Speaking about helming the star-studded Jana Nayagan in an interview with CE, Vinoth made an unexpected observation: that it is often the stars, not the directors, who have the tougher job. He also shed light on the different work cultures he encountered while filming the much-awaited entertainer.
"First of all, handling heroes isn't difficult. In fact, it's the big heroes who find it difficult to handle us," Vinoth said. According to him, senior stars are often more accommodating of young filmmakers than they are given credit for. "They have so much experience. When youngsters come into filmmaking today, the work culture is very different."
Explaining how filmmaking has evolved, he said the transition from film stock to digital has changed the way newcomers approach the craft. "Earlier, everything had to be precise. If you missed even a second, thousands of rupees worth of film would be wasted. Now, with digital, you can erase and redo things. Back then, becoming a director meant spending years as an assistant, working on ten or twenty films. That compulsion doesn't exist anymore."
Vinoth added that established actors often adapt to this new generation despite the differences. "The content these youngsters create connects with today's audience. That's why our stars are the ones adjusting to the younger generation."
The filmmaker also spoke about working with actors from different industries, saying the biggest adjustment wasn't performance but routine. "Bobby sir is a superb actor with an incredible sense for action. The only real difference is in timings. Sometimes, when actors come from Bollywood, we have to adjust to their schedule. Their sleeping and eating habits are different. Suddenly asking them to report for a 6 a.m. call sheet can be difficult, so we make those adjustments."
On Pooja Hegde, Vinoth had nothing but praise. "Pooja is more like a South Indian girl. She's very comfortable with our work culture. Even if we say a shot is okay, if she feels there was even a tiny issue in her expression, she'll ask to do one more take. She's very cooperative and a hard worker. She doesn't have a very large portion in the film, but working with her was extremely easy."
Jana Nayagan, produced by KVN Productions, marks Vijay's final film before his full-time political journey. The film also stars Bobby Deol, Pooja Hegde, Prakash Raj, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Priyamani, Mamitha Baiju and Narain, with music composed by Anirudh Ravichander. The film is slated for a worldwide theatrical release on July 23.
