Interview - I take risks, I achieve

Vinayan has earned a number of laurels. His latest film Oomappenninu Uriyaadappayyan had a continuous four months run and specially appealed the public. The fact that he has achieved this victory by introducing new artists has doubled his image as a successful director. He is the number one popular director in Malayalam entertaining a high percentage of audience including women with successive hits. His Tamil film Kasi the remake of Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum pinne Njanum has made him a hit director there also. The same is being made in Hindi shortly. Vinayan will direct this. He has completed the remake of Oomappenninu Uriyaadappayyan, in Tamil now. He has just returned from Hollywood where he would direct a film being produced by a NRI group.

War And Love a film he had started three years ago remains incomplete. It has Dileep, Tamil actor Prabhu, Kalabhavan Mani and heroine Leila as the main artists. He has another project named Kattuchembaklam work of which he intends to start soon.

You are known for taking risks. You have produced Aalilakkuruvi and Aakasaganga a horror subject. You have given Kalabhavan Mani a very serious role in Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum pinne Njanum when others only accepted him as a comedian in Malayalam. You have introduced new faces when most of the viewers were after super stars. You are repeating it in Tamil also. What makes you take all these risks in every project

My experiences. It is the hard lessons in my life that tends me to take risks. I have no artistic legacy. There was nobody in my family who has shown interest in art or that kind of diversion. Years ago when I was eager to know what happens inside a film studio had a chance to peep through the walls of the famous Udaya studios in Alleppy. If I had grown from that curious boy of fourteen or so to the Vinayan of present day it is because of risks I had taken all along these years. I knew that I had to take risks all the way in my life in order to achieve what I wanted. It is a mind set that what you need really to make people say 'please come and sit down' who usually say 'move away' to an ordinary person.

It seems you were interested in acting initially. People saw you in Meenamaasathile Sooryan by Lenin Rajendran and Idanilangal by I V Sasi. What made you detour from acting to direction

Oh it was a fancy at that time. I left it when I realized there are better people who knew acting. And I realized I can excel in film direction and turned to that.

You have started writing lyrics also. Do you write poems or songs?

I have written poems in many magazines before I came to films. That was by name Vinayan Ambalpuzha. I wrote a few songs for stage plays when I organized my own professional drama troupe. So I thought 'well I can write lyrics for film as well'. I wrote lyrics for Raakshasa Rajaavu and Oomappenninu Uriyaadaappayyan.

You have made Dileep a hero in six films and gave roles to Kalabhvan Mani in ten films. Now it is heard that you are not in good terms with them. What is the truth behind the 'news'?

Oh! I have nothing against them in my mind. I wanted Dileep to act in Oomappenninu Uriyaadaappayyan in the main role. Dileep said he had a role of a dump character offered by Lohita Das. Dileep asked me to 'change the story and come with a different story'. I said 'I cannot change the story but change what I can', and I came back. Jayasoorya was taken in to that role. That does not mean I have part ways with Dileep. Both Dileep and Kalabhavan Mani are acting in my War and Love, which is in its last phase of shooting.

The words that go around the industry is that 'luck is with Vinayan' and that's why his films are becoming hits. Any comment?

Ok! I am going through my best times. They could be right on that point. But I wonder why they are reluctant to accept my good effort I put behind my works!

The entire film industry finds T V a formidable foe to their interests. There is a stricture against certain film stars acing in TV serials. But you are selecting your artists from TV field. Jayasoorya, Suresh Krishna, Indrajith. That shows they are talented. Aren't they?

You are right. They had their good opening in TV serials. They have really proved their talents there. But what I feel now is that if they appear in TV again the audience will not be curious to see them in big screen.

Film chamber directs the producers, that they should not produce films that need an investment of more than one and half crores. Can directors work with a budget what can be called chicken feed?

I agree that it is a childish argument. Budget of a film is directly proportional to its subject. My film Vasanthiyum…. definitely did not need a crore and half, however lavishly I spend. But I may not be able to limit the expense to that amount in the case of War And Love. On the contrary it will cross one and half crores. The choice must be left to the filmmakers. Of course a producer is at liberty to choose to make either a low budget film or a big budget film. At the same time the director needs a realistic budget related to the nature of the subject.

You have cast Riaz in Aakaasaganga and Jayasoorya in 'Oomappen..' But it is Jayasoorya who clicked. What happened? Was it a miscalculation or miscast?

In Oomappenninu… both the subject and the role of Jayasoorya were important. As far as Aakaasaganga is considered it was more a subject-oriented film. It was not indented to run solely on its cast or star attraction. A star was welcome but again the subject was more important. Kunchako Boban first booked for that role. He was not available then. So I went a similar chocolate nature face. Riaz was taken straightaway but many were tested for the role of the dumb boy in the other film.

You have made Oomappenninu… in Tamil in the name 'En Man Vanil'. The hero, heroine, villain, heroine's father, all are from Malayalam. Then why are you remaking it? Mere dubbing would have served the purpose. Wouldn't it be so?

No, you have taken it wrongly. It is not the actors that only matter. Tamilnadu though is the immediate neighbour to Kerala is different in its culture and day-to-day life. So the ingredient must be different. A dubbed version will show only the Kerala aspect of the subject. It is necessary that the real Tamil ethos be depicted in the film.

You are repeating certain scenes and dramatic moments in all your films such as rape, village girls leisurely taking bath in ponds or river. Is it a Vinayan formula of success?

I am depicting the life that is familiar to our society. These things happen. Why should I avoid it? If it is relevant I think I need not do away with it.

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