It can be judged when a person is speaking consciously, measuring each sentence he or she speaks, choosing words carefully to avoid misinterpretation, or giving more detail than necessary. Is. Throughout my conversation with Magizh Thirumeni, the filmmaker sounds confident, but as if he is coming from a place of cooking lavish meals from an untested recipe.
Over the past 15 years, the filmmaker has been known for creating gritty, pulsating and engaging action thrillers thud, Thadaiyara ThakkaAnd cloudmanAwaiting the call-up to direct is Ajith Kumar, a superstar known for his forays with the commercial action genre. “I have known Mr. Suresh Chandra” – the popular PRO and manager of Ajit Kumar – “for over 15 years, but not even once did I ask for an opportunity to present a story to Ajit sir,” says Magizh, noting That he knew he had to prepare and prove himself as a filmmaker for such an opportunity to knock at his door. And when that happened, what happened next took Magiz by surprise, as it should surprise everyone who was waiting to watch their much-awaited film with Ajith, goodbye muyarchi,
When Suresh sir said that I am directing Ajit sir’s next film, I was stunned for a few seconds. He then said that we are starting shooting in ten days. Now, the latter part of the sentence is where everything changes for Magiz, where he and Ajith start a project that seems completely different from anything they have done so far. “Then I got a call from Ajit sir, who in his iconic baritone voice said something I will never forget: ‘Maggis, trust me blindly.’ Till date, the trust is intact. He already has a story idea and we will make a film on it. So for the first time in my career, Magis was based on his original story. Rather, he agreed to direct a film with the agreement that he would execute someone else’s vision.
under pressure to give updates
“It is the responsibility of the production house to give updates. However, I thank Ajith Kumar’s fans because they may have felt impatient or frustrated with the lack of updates, but they never found fault with me. This is something I feel grateful for. It also made me more responsible.”
This increases interest but also changes everyone’s beliefs. goodbye muyarchi Happen. The audience and fans are waiting to see how Ajith Magizh fits into Thirumeni’s world of cinema and how he has shaped the heroes we have seen in Magizh’s films. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this film exists in the Magizh Thirumeni world, no matter how grand it is, because the source material is not mine,” Magizh insisted.
The filmmaker has put it on record that it won’t be a ‘100% Magi’s Thirumeni’ film – something we’ve heard from filmmakers while working with A-listers. You would assume that Maggis would have had to change his methods for the film to suit Ajith Kumar’s stardom. But Magiz shows the opposite. He says, “Although it is not 100% a Maggie’s Thirumeni film, it will not 100% be the kind of film that Ajith sir fans are looking forward to watching.”
In a long-expected move for Ajith Kumar, the superstar will be seen as a common man in the film and “not a larger-than-life hero who can kill 50 people in an instant.” When Ajit presented the story goodbye muyarchiMagiz was apprehensive for a few reasons. At first, it was very much like the film he had dreamed of making with Ajith. “I was hoping it would be an action entertainer, of course in my style, with logic and realism, but with a larger-than-life Ajith Kumar.” story of goodbye muyarchi Was far away from that. “I was hesitant because Sir’s current stature far exceeds the limitations of the central character in the source material. I wondered whether the fans would be ready to accept it” – Magizh confesses that he continues to contemplate some of these doubts – “And I wondered why sir asked me to do action films like that. Chosen is very far from what I make, and the kind of action films I make. From the films that his fans expect him to make.” Before he could ask the question, Ajith told Magiz that it was time for them to step out of their comfort zone. “That has been the guiding vision, and AK sir has been the pillar of strength since day one of this project.”
This conversation essentially reveals that after a long time, a superstar in Tamil cinema has chosen to make a pure genre film as opposed to a commercial film which is a mixed bag of genres. The traditional commercial formula has been a viable option for big stars as multiple commercial elements have ensured that there is something to keep the audience engaged. To provide such support the films were ‘packaged’ with songs, fights and comedy. “What amazes me is that for some reason, this A-lister, one of the kings of South Indian cinema, has the courage to choose a script in which he plays a common man who gets superhero powers. Instead of dealing with big issues with the strengths of the common man. ,
Ajith was so averse to making films in the language of traditional commercial cinema that whenever an idea seemed ‘large in scope’, he would attack it, says Magis. “This was when I asked them for a month to work on the content because I knew we couldn’t present it as it was. He dismissed any ‘large scale’ talk and said, ‘No, we are not doing that kind of film. We’re making a very intelligent film,” admits Maggie goodbye muyarchi It’s a confident but risky endeavor for a superstar like Ajith, “but audiences who enter theaters without any prejudice will definitely get an engaging film. I would like them to see a film for themselves and not come to the theater expecting a larger-than-life action show. This is the kind of movie they’ll go home and think about.”
On Ajith’s car accident, and collaboration with Anirudh Ravichander, and more:
a major discussion point of goodbye muyarchi This was the footage that was released by producer Lyca Productions, in which Ajith and actor Aarav met with a horrific accident while driving a Hummer in Azerbaijan. “It’s sad to even think about it,” says Magiz, recalling how no one expected the Hummer, a heavy vehicle that falls hard, to crash like this. “We had just completed a take, and due to a technical reason, the cinematographer asked for another take. During that second take, there came a moment when I realized that the car was moving the way it shouldn’t. Remember, this was Ajit sir, who we have never seen lose control while driving at very high speeds. “Before we could understand anything, the car overturned.” The stunned crew ran towards the vehicle, relieved to see that Ajit, having broken the window, escaped without any major injuries. We kept parts of that take because it was as real as it could get. One of the major reasons for the accident is that Ajit sir used a different Hummer than the one he used regularly. “Like horses, each vehicle has its own unique characteristics, and it takes time for the driver to adjust.”
On the technical front, Magiz has once again worked with his frequent collaborator, film editor NB Srikanth, whose proficiency in carving out an engaging visual narrative was on brilliant display in Magiz. thud“Even when I first met him as a potential editor when he was part of the Srikanth-Praveen duo, there was some kind of compatibility. He is concerned about completing and executing the director’s vision. Our friendship continues even today and will continue in future also. I prefer to hire honest technicians. I want them to raise their voice if they feel there is something wrong in film making. Srikanth always expresses his opinion and such opinions take me on the right path.
Why Azerbaijan?
“The film required a geography that was vast, with dry sand all around. Also, Ajit sir’s previous few films were shot inside studios and he wanted to go out and shoot in a landscape. We had planned to shoot in Abu Dhabi, but there is a large Indian population there. Even when we were scouting locations in Azerbaijan, many people came from Dubai in the hope of getting a glimpse of Ajit sir.
When it comes to music, Magizh got the opportunity to work with one of the most sought-after composers in Tamil: Anirudh Ravichander. “I remember the time when his first album was released. I was very surprised at how fresh the sound and tune structure felt. The only other time I felt something like that was when Roza Was released in 1992. Then Ani did what she did. Magi call Ani a force of nature. “He is a charismatic musician. The moment I met him, he made me feel comfortable and it was a wonderful journey. He is enthusiastic and someone who doesn’t give up until he gives his all. He’s not that stubborn person who says, ‘Do you know who I am?’ He is always open to ideas and discussions.”
Started his career with a romance film (2010) mundinum partheni) and after doing only action films since then, Maggis wants to explore other genres. “I would like to try my hand in every genre. Every script I write comes out with a lot of humor; Then I keep taking out all that humor. I also want to do a romance film. Actually, Trisha was saying that I should do a complete romance film. However, his next film will be a commercial action film. “I want audiences to know that even the most extraordinary events can be logical and close to reality. Those films are being made in Europe. Our audience is also ready for this, and does not want mindless repetition of age-old clichés. The audience has evolved. Now the time has come for filmmakers to also evolve.
published – January 01, 2025 04:44 PM IST
