Mohnish SinghBy: Mohnish Singh
Mari Selvaraj, who is considered one of the most sought-after filmmakers in Tamil cinema, is presently gearing up for the release of his next film, Maamannan. At the audio launch of the film recently, he said something about veteran actor Kamal Haasan’s 1992 Thevar Magan, which has not gone down well with many people who are now trolling him on social media.
Speaking at the event, Selvaraj said, “Thevar Magan is considered a masterpiece today. I’m sure every director would have watched it before making films. I did the same before every film of mine. When I watched it for the first time, I was left in a dilemma. I did not understand whether the film was right or wrong. I was in conflicting minds.”
The director went on to add that his film Maamannan is, in fact, a continuation of the Bharathan directorial as he modelled one of the characters in his directorial on Vadivelu’s character in Thevar Magan.
“I wanted to see my father fit into this world. I made Maamannan for my father. Vadivelu, who played Esaki in Thevar Magan, is a maamannan (king of kings). Esaki’s transformation into a maamannan is the story of my film, Maamannan.”
Selvaraj revealed that he has watched Maamannan before making all his films so far. “Thevar Magan was one of the reasons for the creation of Maamannan. The pain and vibrations that I felt when I saw Thevar Magan made me do it. I could not get over those days and how it turns society as a cinema. It is in a different place as a cinematic language. The other side has a different effect. Thevar Magan is a masterstroke. All directors watch that film and then take a film. I watched Thevar Magan before Pariyerum Perumal and before Karnan. Everything that happens in it was blood and flesh. It is a pain that I cannot understand whether this film is right or wrong. In that Thevar Magan world, there is a big God. There is a small God. Everyone is there. Maamannan is a film that I decided to make for my father and decide how it would be if my father was there,” he said.
Clips shared on social media show that Kamal Haasan fans did not like Selvaraj speaking like this in front of the superstar. Here’re some tweets criticising the director:
Meanwhile, Maamannan is set to release on June 29.
