Interview: Maaveeran director on cinematic choices, need for criticism, and Yogi Babu

Madonne Ashwin’s second feature Maaveeran has charmed many, and the director seems to be firmly set on the path of making films that are different yet fall within the commercial genre. A local politician’s attempt to move the people of a slum into substandard accommodation, citing ‘development’, forms the background of the Sivakarthikeyan-starrer Maaveeran. A timid illustrator Sathya (Sivakarthikeyan) prefers to lie low and not raise his voice against injustice, but a mind voice (Vijay Sethupathi) nudges him to discover the hero in him.

Ashwin’s debut Mandela bagged two National Awards (Best Debut Film and Best Screenplay - Dialogue), but what people remember and thank the director for most is for gifting comedian Yogi Babu the dignity he deserves on screen. He repeats that with Maaveeran, where Yogi Babu plays a construction worker who pretends to be a Hindi-speaking person to get work. The film also sees the director deal sensitively with the female body, choosing to speak about an incident that happened with the character instead of letting the camera turn voyeuristic.

In an interview, Madonne Ashwin speaks about how he views cinema, not compromising a persons’ dignity on screen, crediting the inspirations behind Maaveeran in the end titles, why he chose to structure Maaveeran in a particular manner, and bringing back yesteryear performer Sarita to the big screen after a long gap. Excerpts:

Let’s begin with Yogi Babu. What made you dignify a person who has always been the butt of terrible jokes on screen, for your first film Mandela and now Maaveeran?

I think I am a work in progress. Growing up, I, like many others, have all laughed at body shaming on screen. And then, as we grew, as we read and spoke to friends and watched others’ creations, we developed the opinion that using a person’s identity or appearance as material to trigger laughter is wrong. In recent times, when films do that, the audience and reviewers have been calling them out and giving feedback. Body shaming hurts people and is politically incorrect. 

If we look back at the humour in films in the 90s, it possibly won’t pass muster with the censors. But I remember laughing at those jokes. It has taken age and experience and the ability to analyse content to get to the sensibility I possess now.

But this also meant going against the grain in your debut. That needed courage, right?

A little, yes. But more than that, I was confident that my script would validate my choice. Honestly, no one in the industry stops you from experimenting. I’ve done my fair share of experimenting in Maaveeran too. Producers and actors want to work with new content. No one is asking for the same old stories. They are ready to back and be part of new stories. But you have to be confident to try something different. For me, that is the very reason I got into films. 

Madonne Ashwin on the sets of 'Maaveeran'

When did this passion for films begin?

During college. I did not give it a name, but it was something that had become a part of my life. When I quit my job in software and came to cinema, there was struggle — financial and otherwise — but I was sure I wanted to learn. I started making short films, and did a crash course in Bangalore with Sanjay Nambiar. I wanted to learn the process and so wrote scripts, figured out the structure. In a day, I spent 20 hours dreaming and learning cinema. Once the course was over and I got into the Naalaya Iyakkunar show, I realised something that had hitherto been subconscious — I loved cinema and had to put in more effort.

After a stunning debut, many falter during their sophomore movie. How difficult was it to make Maaveeran, especially after Mandela’s success and two National Awards?

There was a certain pressure while writing Maaveeran, but at one point I decided to push aside all those thoughts, because they were holding me back. I could not write anything different. And then, I consciously thought of this as my second debut. If it works, it works. If it does not, well, I tried. That made it easier to explore various angles and come up with a storyline.

How did you deal with some of the criticism that came Maaveeran’s way?

Criticism and feedback are very good for any film. They help you identify where your strengths are, where your flaws lie. And if you decide to act on them, you won’t repeat those mistakes.

No one makes a perfect film every time. Everything is a valid suggestion when it comes from a place of connecting with a film, and therefore wanting some clarity. It is gratifying to know these are the thoughts that were triggered after watching something you created.

There was some trolling over the end credits that features the list of creations that inspired you to make Maaveeran. How did you deal with it?

We all are charmed by some films or shows we watch, and they enter your subconscious and linger there, coming out at the opportune time and serving as an inspiration. I would have felt terrible if I had not given credit to those creators and creations for nudging me to think in a certain way.

Since you asked, if anyone ever credited my films as inspiration someday in the future, I’d be mighty chuffed. That day is more than two decades away, though! (laughs)

You take your time to write a film and like to people it with characters that step into your heart. How do you respond when the audience actually ‘gets’ what you’re saying or when they derive new meaning?

When you try to enrich your script with nuances, and put effort into it, most of it will reach the audience. Subconsciously, they gather those nuances. That enhances the experience of watching a movie, and they go out and speak about it, share that joy. While that is not why we put in the nuances, this kind of audience joy makes a creator very happy. It is payoff for the hard work put in during the discussing and writing stages. It makes your work feel seen.

Could you speak about some of those scenes in Maaveeran?

Most of the scenes were in sync with the writing, and we hoped the audience would ‘get’ the moment. For instance, there’s a line about a voice, and I knew the audience would know it was about Yogi Babu, and began laughing even before the moment. Likewise, they understood the references in other scenes. They seemed to accept and appreciate what we were trying to say.

Many felt you should have dwelt some more on the bond between Jeyakodi (Mysskin) and his assistant and friend Paramu (Sunil)...

My idea was not to reveal the backstory, but just throw in hints as to what it could have been. Initially, we had written a first half where you have Paramu calling Jeyakodi “Sir” before rebuking and beating him up, but then felt it was extra information we were feeding the audience. We wanted them to learn about these men bit by bit, and imagine a backstory in their heads. 

How easy was it to convince a star like Sivakarthikeyan to do a role like Sathya, which is very un-hero-like?

He was just game for it after reading the script and seeing how the screenplay progresses. There were moments in the first and second half that were unusual, but still commercial ‘mass’ moments. The voice in the head elevated those moments. And Siva understood that we were making a commercial film, but differently. It is the story of an underdog, but it is also the story of one person identifying the hero within. Siva had a gut instinct that it would work.

Sivakarthikeyan and Madonne Ashwin on the sets of 'Maaveeran'

Everyone’s wondering how you managed to convince Sarita to come on board.

Siva has worked with almost everyone who’s playing a mother now. And Eshwari (Sarita) is a character that is there from start to finish, someone who has shaped her kids’ lives. It was a very meaty role and I wanted someone who would be an unusual but apt choice. That was when producer Arun Viswa told me we could approach Sarita. 

I remember Sarita from Thanneer Thanneer and Netrikann. In fact, Thanneer Thanneer was a reference for Mandela with regard to the look and setup of the village. I had no idea she was in Dubai. She was very reluctant to take up a film, and said that she hears scripts with the mindset to reject them. It appears she checked with friends regarding Mandela, and they told her to listen to the narration. She watched Mandela and signed up after the narration.

In between, she got Covid and we put the shoot on hold, because she brought so much to the film. 

What’s your writing process like?

Writing is the most important but most basic factor in filmmaking. It is more difficult to write than become a director. Once you get things right on paper, it usually works like a charm on screen. For Mandela, I worked alone on the script and dialogues. For Maaveeran, I needed references for the various dialects in a housing board colony. I got help from Chandru, who worked in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Maanagaram as a co-writer, for the additional screenplay and dialogues. We took three months to finalise the writing. 

How happy are you watching your films?

Not at all. I feel every scene could have been done better. I am never satisfied with my work, it has not really impressed me. I am hard to please. Be it Mandela or Maaveeran, I see only mistakes when I watch them during repeat viewings. But that keeps me going. I like to experiment, change myself, create something that is very unlike what people expect of me. 

Subha J Rao is an entertainment journalist covering Tamil and Kannada cinema and is based out of Mangaluru, Karnataka.