Maaman director Prasanth Pandiyaraj Interview: Soori gave me full liberty to make my film with his story | Exclusive

After giving a critically acclaimed web series Vilangu, director Prasanth Pandiyaraj, is back to making films for the big screen and gearing up for the release of Maaman, an endearing family drama about an uncle and his nephew. Scheduled to release on May 16, Prasanth Pandiyaraj chats with OTTplay about crafting Maaman.

“After Vilangu, I was sure that my next project should be completely different. I was working on different stories and working on another web series, Lingam, as showrunner. But as I began speaking with Soori na, he told me a story and it was interesting. That is how Maaman started,” Prasanth says.

Maaman director Prasanth Pandiyaraj Interview:

Prasanth promises that Maaman will be a film that can make you shed happy tears. As he acknowledges how there had been a shift in Tamil cinema with audiences enjoying family entertainers like Kudumbasthan and Tourist Family, after a time when violence had been celebrated widely, the director mentions, “I too was bored by violence, and wanted a shift in the pattern. Right in time when our film is coming out, audiences too have started to enjoy and accept other genres. We had never decided to come out at the time of these films. We were planning to make Maaman since last year, and it so happened that all these films are coming at the same time.”

Soori has given the story of Maaman to Prasanth, who developed the screenplay and directed it. “I liked the story instantly. The story is completely his, and without diluting the sentiments of the content he gave.” He also adds that the practice of collaborating, where directors work alongside others in terms of story, is a welcome move. Prasanth says a director can probably work on 10 stories, but after that, collaborations come in handy to work on more creative work. “With Soori na, he understood if and when I made any changes to the story. He narrated a story and gave the liberty to make a film with his story. So, it was all the smoother when working in Maaman.”

‘Maaman made me realise how much relationships are important’

The Bruce Lee director says that Maaman might be about a specific relationship, but it will cater to the emotional needs of everyone who might not even have a maternal uncle in real life. “You can alternate that character with any other relationship in your life, and the emotions will still work. Some might also long for such relationships in their life.” In fact, it was while working in Maaman, that Prasanth understood that one should not get carried away from the luxuries of life and forsake family relationships. “We may not spend time with our family amid work, and sometimes ignore their needs. Working in Maaman, made me realise how much relationships are important and we cannot let go of them, he adds.

After Maaman, Prasanth says that his next project will be completely different and that he is working on 2-3 lines at present. Speaking about the second season of Vilangu 2, the director says he does have the script for it, and things should fall in place for the next part to be greenlit. “I have a line for it, and the characters will continue. But the project has to be mounted, and only then can we work more on it,” Prasanth says.