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---Director Karu Palaniappan
 After
‘Parthipan Kanavu’, ‘Sivappadhikaaram’, and ‘Chathurangam’,
Director Karu Palaniappan is busy with ‘Pirivoam,Santhippoam’.
The film is being released today. I met him at the film’s
re-recording. Excerpts:
There has been a lot of interval after ‘Sivappadhikaaram’.
Why so?
I have done four films in the four years after my entry. Even
now, my desire and approach have been to do fulfilling films
rather than to do many films. I believe in quality rather than
in quantity. After I finish a film, I won’t do anything for the
next two months. I would use that time to decide on the next
story theme. Of course, I know that one should make hay while
the sun shines.
Your films seem to have an element of
similarity…
I have self confidence. Therefore, I don’t worry. One cannot do
a film like someone else. Similarly, others cannot do films as I
do. Even if five moviemakers do films on the same subject, they
won’t be similar. In fact, even if you give my screenplay for
all the eighty scenes to someone else, he cannot make the film
that I have in mind!!
 What
makes you say so?
‘Sindhu Bhairavi’, ‘Mudhal Mariyaadhai’ and ‘Chinna Veedu’ were
released during the same period. All three had almost the same
storyline. Has anyone scented this? One who is at loggerheads
with his wife seeks someone else. This is the common theme.
Nevertheless, have they not been given totally different
treatments?
When you make a film, should you not be
aware of the films around you?
That is not necessary. I would only think of how different my
next film is going to be from my previous one. I don’t bother
about the happenings in the neighbourhood, of the films being
made by others. I will not repeat what I have already said or
what I have already done. If I were to repeat the same work, I
would have taken up an office job rather than moviemaking!!
 Should
you not be aware of the present trend?
There is nothing called trend in movies. This is a myth created
by moviemakers. They call it a trend when they sing the same
tune. No moviegoer says that he or she likes a particular theme
during a season. When my maiden movie, ‘Parthiban kanavu’ was
released, they asked, ‘Why love stories, when action films like
Dhool, Samy and Arasu have a field day?’ My film came out with
this burden of skepticism, doubt and ‘uncertainty’. Even those
who commended the film were skeptical. And, what happened?
People watched it with their families. Its success was due to
the dignified portrayal of a love story. So, I don’t believe in
the so-called trends.
What is your view of portraying what
happens in our society?
You see, one can portray some isolated incident happening in a
nook or corner and claim that he has filmed something that
happens in the world. This is highly irresponsible and deserves
condemnation. Any portrayal should be dignified. Every household
has a bedroom and a toilet. You can’t exhibit everything. Don’t
forget that you have doors for the toilet!!!
 Why
it is that some people are unreasonable? You think in a crooked
way, you commercialise it and then you try to escape by putting
the blame on society, saying that these things do happen. I
cannot accept it. Whether or not we say something good, we
should never say anything bad. I am very clear about this.
What have you learnt from the experience
of your four films?
None asks a Doctor as to where he works. You ask him where he
‘practices’. Just as a doctor learns through life-long practice,
so does a film director. No body knows beforehand as to which
film would run and which would not. Even in the films I have
made, the moviegoer rejects the scenes I like most. He enjoys
what I dislike. I cannot solve the riddle as to when he would
tune to the same frequency and enjoy to my exact level of
enjoyment. Movie is an enjoyable game.
Who is your role-model in direction?
Rudrayya and Manivannan. They are seemingly poles apart. I will
tell you the ‘why?’ of it. Rudrayya directed ‘Aval Appadiththaan’,
twenty-five years ago. If you view it today, you will feel that
this film should have come five years hence. His thinking is so
modern. Fresh thinking is a must for a director.
 It
has been proved that Manivannan is capable of handling different
types of stories. He has given a silver-jubilee film in almost
every sort of theme. Crime subject? ‘Irupaththunaalu Mani naeram’.
Family subject? ‘Gopurangal Saayvathillai’. Comedy?
‘ChinnaThambi PeriyaThambi’. Social theme? ‘Paalaivana Rojakkal’.
Action Movie? ‘Amaithip Padai’. A movie sans a hero? ‘Muthal
Vasantham’. A triangular love story? ‘Ingaeyum Oru Gangai’. All
of them are Silver Jubilee films. Manivannan is so competent and
resourceful. It is a tragedy that our times have left him
uncelebrated.
C R
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