Maareesan director Sudheesh Sankar on why the film was not made in Malayalam: After Maamannan, we wanted to show Fahadh Faasil and Vadivelu differently | EXCLUSIVE

After their performances were much appreciated in Maamannan, actors Vadivelu and Fahadh Faasil will be reuniting once again for another Tamil film, Maareesan. Directed by Sudheesh Sankar, the film appears to be much different from Maamannan, which is a political drama and talks about caste issues. While the Mari Selvaraj directorial saw the two powerhouses of talent standing opposite to each other, Maareesan will bring out different shades of the actors.

With the trailer showing that Maareesan will be a road trip journey of characters played by Fahadh Faasil and Vadivelu, here is what the director of the film, Sudheesh Sankar, has to say in this conversation with OTTplay.

Maareesan director Sudheesh Sankar Interview

“From the trailer, we know that it is a travel film about two men, with one of them (Vadivelu) having cash, while the other (Fahadh Faasil) is eyeing to get his ATM pin from him. The second half will bring more twists, and will be interesting with social elements,” the director says.

Also read: Maareesan teaser: Fahadh Faasil and Vadivelu’s reunion promises an intriguing tale of two men

It was after Maamannan release, Sudheesh and his team were struck by the idea of the Fahadh Faasil-Vadivelu combination. “Both of them had powerfully played their roles in the film. Vadivelu comes in a different avatar in Maareesan, and we have not seen him like that so far. While the first half will be more of a thriller mode, I believe that the second half will be unpredictable. As a genre, the film is a thriller,” Sudheesh says.

Why Maareesan was not made in Malayalam?

On being asked why he chose to do Maareesan in Tamil and not in Malayalam, the filmmaker said that they, as a team, thought that the lead pair combination would better work out in Tamil. “After Maamannan, we wanted to show them differently. Both of them have a strong hold in Tamil, and even we felt that the subject, if shown in Tamil culture would be better,” he adds. The director is also in praise of Vadivelu, who has also crooned a song for the film. “It has come out very well. It will resonate with many audiences, and he, too, enjoyed singing it. There are four songs, and one of them is sung by Yuvan Shankar Raja.”

Also read: Maareesan trailer out: Conman Fahadh Faasil and Alzheimer's patient Vadivelu take a road trip in this slow-burn thriller

Having worked in Malayalam TV serials, and being a native of Kerala, Sudheesh says that there were not any deliberate changes made in Maareesan to cater to the Tamil audience. He explains, “There are no differences in creativity. The human emotions and feelings are the same no matter what state. The story will find its location, and even the writer of Maareesan, V. Krishna Moorthy, who is also the creative director of the film, gives his inputs needed for Tamil culture. So, there isn’t much difference between Malayalam and Tamil cinema.”

Asked about the reason for the title, which refers to the shapeshifting character from Hindu mythology Ramayan, Sudheesh says, “The character is known for making Sita cross the lakshmarekha by charming her. Like that, this film too is about charming someone. But I may not be able to explain beyond this without spoilers.”

The director says that it is an advantage that he has a writer by his side for the film. While the writing and directing departments are mostly executed by the same person in Tamil films, unlike Malayalam cinema, Sudheesh says that having a writer has helped in having healthy discussions and creativity from both minds. “Krishna Moorthy was present on the sets as creative director, whose inputs really helped shape the film. Likewise, Fahadh Faasil and Vadivelu sir were very supportive of the film. Many said that there would be problems with having two big artistes on the sets, but it was a positive energy on the sets, flooded with creativity and laughs,” the director concludes.

Maareesan, produced by Super Good Films, is scheduled to release in theatres on July 25.