Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu actor Simbu: We have no control over what audiences choose to consume

For the third time, Silambarasan TR aka Simbu and director Gautham Menon collaborated on Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu (VTK), which had a theatrical release on Thursday. A year after scoring a huge hit with the time-loop thriller Maanaadu, Simbu was ready for a new project. Here, he discusses what fans can anticipate from his reunion with Gautham Menon, why they decided against making another love tale, and why he no longer enjoys playing the stereotypical hero.

Simbu and Gautham Menon's association is known for their lighthearted love stories. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya and Achcham Yenbathu Madamaiyada, two of their previous projects, have both done well financially. Simbu acknowledges that following the success of Maanaadu, they changed their minds about working on another romantic story together.

"With Maanaadu, I took a major risk, and I was interested to see how people would react. I had the confidence to push myself to accomplish something difficult after the film became a success. VTK, a movie that is far outside of my comfort zone, was made possible because Gautham trusted me and my vision," Simbu stated. 

Simbu added that since the definition of a hero in popular culture has evolved, everyone must adjust.

"You cannot take the audience for granted in the modern era. They have instant access to a wealth of information. I became aware of this while filming Maanaadu, a time-loop movie in which I play a hero and frequently die. Because they were so engrossed in the concept and the plot, the audience didn't mind. What a movie can give in terms of story and experience, rather than what the hero does, is what I think counts these days. I lost a few fingers in one of the scenes of Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu. Gautham once asked me if it was acceptable for a hero to lose his fingers. I told him that heroes escaping gunfire during battle sequences in our movies are already made fun of; so let's make it appear raw and realistic."

Simbu explained more about the recently-released VTK, describing it as a unique mafia tale. "This one will be incredibly realistic for viewers to experience. It tells the story of a young Tamil Nadu youngster who travels to Mumbai where he finally becomes a gangster and becomes successful. This won't be like a typical hero-centric movie, with high moments and slow-motion views. Some scenes will have the audience on their feet and in a frenzy, but the development of these scenes will take time. Fans will miss seeing Simbu on screen. The realistic portrayal of the story was the one thing that made Gautham and I cognizant of not doing anything that would make me appear heroic on screen."

Further, Simbu asserted that viewers won't boycott a decent movie when the discussion turned to the prevalent boycott mentality in Indian cinema.

"In my opinion, a movie's success is always determined by its content. Because they won't boycott an excellent movie, moviegoers shouldn't be held responsible, in my opinion. They'll make sure a movie runs smoothly if they like it. However, viewers are free to reject poor content, and we have no control over it. The recent success of Thiruchitrambalam made me very glad since it showed that audiences will applaud good content when it is presented to them."