WATCH: Sudha Kongara’s interview on ‘Sarfira’: Akshay Kumar hasn’t lost touch with his roots and reality
“Always find a unique story. Cinema has had 100 years. Don’t give the audience the same kind of rubbish.”
This statement tops the 24 commandments in director Sudha Kongara’s office in Alwarpet, Chennai. With a few impressive feature films and a National Award to her credit, Sudha may not read these commandments every day, but she turns to them when she is confused about films. “These are just to remind me what to do when I am confused. For me, an idea must resonate.”
As was the case a few years ago when he read the story of the journey of Air Deccan founder Captain Gopinath and decided to make a film on it. This resulted in a National Award winning Tamil film starring Surya. Soorarai PottruWhich he has now remade in Bollywood with Akshay Kumar and Radhika Madan crazy,
Akshay Kumar in ‘Sarfira’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
crazyShe feels the audience will love the film. “I am very confident. I watch my films as an audience and I felt this is an underdog story and has a universal appeal.”
Flying high
When? Soorarai Pottru After releasing directly on Prime Video in 2020, it made an impact not just in Tamil Nadu, but across India. It was trending in Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Haryana, which surprised Sudha. “It was a Tamil film for the southern states, and here we saw it being watched and adopted even in the remote areas of India.”
is it not a problem now, because crazy Will the film be popular with audiences even on the big screen? “I still feel there are a lot of people who haven’t seen the film. Not everyone in Tamil Nadu has seen the film either. Soorarai Pottru.,
However, those who are still in awe of the performance of actor Suriya, who plays a young man who is determined to fly high. “Before going on the shoot, we were figuring out how he could portray the character’s desperation on screen, and it reminded us of his own days as a textile factory worker a few decades ago. He delved deep into that period of his life to play Maara effectively.”
Sudha Kongara with Akshay Kumar, Radhika and Surya on the sets of ‘Sarfira’
The process with Akshay Kumar was different. “He is a warm, friendly actor. He has not moved away from his roots and reality, no matter how much money he makes or how popular he becomes.” Sudha gives an example from a song sequence (‘Dhokha’) to prove her point. “We suddenly realised that he was in a new costume, but the portion of the song we were shooting required him to look a little dirty. The make-up team rushed to get some amber powder, but before they could get it, he fell on the muddy ground and rolled over. He got up and asked: is this enough?”
Cinema for life
Sudha considers herself a fan of Mani Ratnam, who inspired her to enter the world of cinema. She remembers seeing Mani Ratnam. Crazy NilavuMani’s 1985 film, when she was in Class VIII, and then later she fell in love with his cinema. “In Class XII, we had to go to Vizag; there too, we got VHS cassettes of Mani’s films and watched them. I love the realism in his cinema. Mouna Raagam He’s my all-time favorite; he’s just get That generation of women.”
Sudha Kongara | Photo courtesy: S Shiva Raj
Sudha also shares a professional relationship with Mani, having assisted him on several projects before becoming a filmmaker herself. What has been your biggest learning from him? “He always tells us that hard work and focus is the most important thing. When my first film flopped, I was upset, but I still had an idea of what I wanted to do. Irudhi Suttru in mind. While everyone was telling me that this would be an impossible task, it was Mani sir who told me: ‘You should do this.’
And he did that. Not only did he make a film on a boxing coach training an amateur boxer, but he also contributed to the streaming space with his segments in an anthology. Putham Pudhu Kaalai And Pava Embroidery. So, what’s next? “Author Naran has written a book on the first three women doctors in South India, set in the 1940s. I really wanted to do it, but I have been going from one film to another, so I don’t seem to have the time. My next project will be a Tamil film, based on an idea that has been driving me crazy. I am excited to tell this story, and I am looking forward to it.”
