Creating a film that is both commercially successful and meaningful is difficult: Sasi | Tamil Movie News – The Times of India

Known for crafting emotionally rich and socially rooted narratives, Sasi, the director behind acclaimed films like Sollamale, Poo, and Pichaikkaran, is returning with the Vijay Antony-starrer Nooru Saami, which, he says, is “a deeply personal and progressive story that challenges societal norms”.

In an exclusive interview, Sasi opens up about drawing inspiration from a real-life incident, his reunion with Vijay Antony, his approach towards filmmaking and more.

..‘I want to tell the stories of common people to common people’Almost 30 years after my first film, even now, I see myself as a storyteller, not just a director. I don’t make films for elite audiences; I want to tell the stories of common people to common people.

My focus is always on conveying meaningful messages through my own craft.‘This film is more progressive than Pichaikkaran’The film is based on a real-life incident from southwestern Tamil Nadu. I came across these characters through a reality show on social media, and it intrigued me. Initially, I was hesitant because it reminded me of Pichaikkaran. But the difference is clear — Pichaikkaran showed a son who sees his mother as a god, whereas here, the son sees his mother as a human being, making this film more progressive.

I wrote the script in 23 days, but it took me five years to shape it.‘I wanted to talk about the life of a single mother’I wanted to talk about the life of a single mother, which society often ignores. Especially when a woman has a child, people think her life has come to a full stop. I wanted to challenge that mindset. The film speaks about remarriage as a basic need and tries to break stereotypes, while still having family, love, and political elements.‘Vijay Antony had to make a complete transformation’In Pichaikkaran, there wasn’t a huge transformation needed. But here, Vijay Antony had to completely change his body language, slang, look, everything to fit the character of a 46-year-old sugarcane farmer who is also a single parent. The character is innocent, kind-hearted, but also intelligent. There’s a complete transformation in his look and body language.

I believe this role will become a big talking point, especially with the way his character enters and changes the narrative.‘I have introduced six music directors in my nine films’I’ve made nine films and introduced six music directors so far. In Nooru Saami, I’m introducing Balaji Sriram as music director. Even my other technicians — cinematographer Darshan Trilochan and editor Harish Yuvaraj — are new. If we have clarity in what we want, new talent can deliver great output.‘There’s a chance I’ll have three releases this year’Nooru Kodi Vaanavil (his long-pending film starring Harish Kalyan and Siddhi Idnani) is completely ready, but there are some production issues that need to be resolved. But promotions for its release will begin soon. This year, there’s even a chance that three of my films might be released.On choosing actresses from the Malayalam industryI didn’t choose them randomly. Swaswika was the first person I finalised; I felt she was the only one who could do this role.

Her character is that of a single mother who doesn’t think her life is over after her husband’s death. She wants to turn that full stop into a comma. Through her, we’re breaking stereotypes and showing a progressive woman living in a conservative village. I strongly believe this film will give her a permanent place in Tamil cinema and even bring her major awards.

Lijomol Jose has a short but very important role.

I saw Kavya Anil in a short film and was impressed.‘Cinema is where art meets commerce’For me, cinema is where art meets commerce. I have a responsibility towards producers and the audience. Making a good film is easy, and delivering a commercial hit is also possible, but creating a film that is both commercially successful and truly meaningful is difficult. That’s why I take time between my films.