Prithviraj comes across as someone who never had a moment of self-doubt in his 2-decade old career. Or maybe it is all a façade – an armour he cultivated over the years to protect himself from the media glare. We may never know. But what the actor projects to the outside world is an image of a man always in charge of himself, supremely confident about his craft and the films he has chosen or how his career has shaped up. Not even seasoned journalists have caught him on the wrong foot. And by and large, he is a journalist’s delight—articulate, confident to the point of being cocky, and generous with words.
On the career front, he is on a roll, having recently branched out into production and direction. His directorial debut, Lucifer, headlined by Mohanlal, emerged as one of the fastest grossing Malayalam films of all time. Though his first production, Nine, was an average grosser, the second production, Driving License, was a commercial hit. Kuruthi, directed by newbie Manu Warrier, is the latest from Prithviraj Productions. We had a long chat with the actor.
Why did you feel that this story needed to be told?
Kuruthi, I feel, is very much a byproduct of our times. It speaks of issues that are very relevant to the times that we live in. Having said that, a good film, at least for me, cannot be designed just for the sake of speaking out on certain topics. Kuruthi is one of those rare films which, in effect, is a fast-paced mainstream socio-political thriller, but the import of the film is much larger than the film itself. I’m very happy that not only did I act in the film, but I also produced it. I would rather not say much and spoil it for you.
Incidentally the 3 films (Nine, Driving License, and Kuruthi) came to Prithviraj, the actor. The production bit came later.
The film came to me with nothing attached to it. It just had a writer and a director. Manu and Aneesh were two friends who had been developing this script for a while. I was going through all these backlogs of scripts in my inbox when I tested positive for COVID last year. This was like a 10-page synopsis, and it immediately struck me as something that needed to be made.
I believe they had more of an arthouse narrative in mind…
Yes…though Aneesh denies it and says he had only a commercial film in mind. I have pulled them away from their original vision to give it a mainstream template.
Why were you so insistent on a mainstream template?
I have always believed that if a film is speaking something significant it should be done in an organic way. It shouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb. When you watch the film, you are invested in the characters and also realise that it is a fast-paced commercial film with really deep layers and deep questions.
Is this something you have never done before?
I haven’t done anything that speaks what Kuruthi does. We have chosen a few people to tell you what happens to human nature when they are pushed to the edge. It’s about what happens when an unstoppable force of violence meets an immovable object of fate.
When do you feel the urge to bankroll a film?
When a film comes to me as an actor and if there is no producer attached to it, I’m tempted to produce it. I will have more control over the vision being executed. As an actor you are not in control so much. You submit yourself to someone else’s vision, but you also submit yourself to the hope that someone else will bankroll and execute the vision…which has happened many times in my career. I am thankful to the wonderful producers who have worked with me and have made great films with me. But it has also happened many times in your career that you listen to the script, you think this is the film that is going to be made, and eventually it is nothing like what you have visualised. When you have the opportunity to facilitate the vision that you have seen, I would always take it.
Does that also mean that as a producer you are involved in every aspect of the filmmaking process? Including casting?
Manu knew nobody from Malayalam cinema, so I had to put together the team for him. From the cast to the technicians, I had full control in designing the project. Kuruthi is about great performances, and it was important that we get the right actors since the written material was solid. I would pick the actors and exchange notes with Manu. And then we were on.
You are known to be a very participative actor. You like giving suggestions in every area of filmmaking. Has Lucifer changed the way you approach a film as an actor?
It has not. I still put my thoughts across. Whenever I throw in a suggestion, I am inherently hoping that I’m refuted with a better argument. Cinema is always collaborative. I am not the kind of actor who will do my shot and sit inside the van. I want to be in the thick of things. By now the whole industry knows that is my process. And those who disagree don’t work with me.
Now that you are a director, how much of an actor’s involvement would you encourage?
I have cast this relatively new actor called Kalyani Priyadarshan in Bro Daddy. I gave her a character narration and colour palette of the film. She came back to me with an entire powerpoint document. It had her vision of the character along with styling. That’s the kind of involvement I look forward to. Lucifer was straightjacketed that way especially as I was also very new. I had a clear-cut vision about what each actor should do and behave. Bro Daddy is more fluid. It is about letting actors loose a bit. I love it when Mohanlal comes on sets and asks— “Money, ee scene ingane cheyythalo” (Son, how about we do this scene like so). As a filmmaker, I love it when actors bring in their vision to a role. So I expect other filmmakers to enjoy it when I do that.
What new facet of Mohanlal did you discover when you directed him for Bro Daddy?
No, nothing new about Mohanlal. When a film changes you need to change your filmmaking style…you need to change the way you interact with your actors. In Kuruthi, we got all the actors in an apartment and conducted dialogue sessions. It was important that each character in the film be very personal to the actors. It’s one of those rare films which make you think each character is speaking to you.
Do you think acting workshops should be mandatory before every film?
I didn’t go for the Kuruthi workshop. I am not comfortable in workshops. That’s not my process. But I have absolute respect for actors who do workshops and readings. My thing about Kuruthi is that it had the nature of a closed space, and every character has to interact with each other through silences.
Which is the scariest part—acting, directing or production?
Anybody who has done all the three would say that acting is scary. Your chances of getting caught in the wrong film in the wrong action are much higher when you are acting. When you are directing, it is in your control. At least if the vision is wrong you tend to think it is the right vision because it is yours. As a producer, you exercise control over being able to do something about it. You can say ‘it’s not going well’ or ‘stop the shoot.’ But as an actor, when things go wrong you can tell the director or producer your predicament but that’s about it. There have been multiple instances when I have been caught like that. So I would say being an actor is the scariest.
I personally felt Koode was your best performance and Anjali told me that a lot of the character was built after interacting with you. Did you personally feel so? Was that the most difficult character to crack?
Again, I didn’t go for the Koode workshop. I made up excuses and didn’t turn up for the workshop. I suspect Anjali is still upset about it. After she gave me a brief narration about what the film was about, she wondered if I could take a day off. In Mumbai, we had a “date” from morning to late evening. We saw the sunrise, strolled through the streets of Mumbai, visited art cafes, and visited bookstores. We spoke nothing about the film. I’m sure she was thinking and forming her Joshua in her mind all the while. I skipped workshops and acting sessions and then landed on the sets and put myself at her disposal. It remains one of the easiest characters I performed. Anjali has this wonderful ability to understand the real-life persona of the actor and then bring the character closer to that. And you don’t even realise that she is doing it. She is one of the best writers I have worked with.
Is image important for an actor?
I think it is important not to have an image as an actor. As far as I know, I don’t have an image within cinema. People think I am unpredictable regarding the kind of cinema I do, and I like that. Those who have money riding on me are worried regarding what my next film will be. My taste in cinema and scripts is eclectic and I don’t fall back on the safety net of directors who made success with me. Neither do I have a group of filmmakers and writers who would only work with me. Anybody can walk up to me and show me a script. And if I like that script that’s going to be made. That much I know.
source https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/kuruthi-is-a-byproduct-of-our-times-prithviraj-talks-upcoming-thriller-his-involvement-in-every-aspect-of-filmmaking-9876471.html
