Director Rathina Siva, who made his debut with Rekka with Vijay Sethupathi in the lead four years ago, is back with Seeru. Starring Jiiva in the lead, Seeru is hitting the screens this Friday. In this brief interview with TNM, the director discusses the film’s story, his hopes for his first and long-delayed project Vaa Deal, and his thoughts on the last-minute release delays in the Tamil cinema industry.
Tell us about how Seeru came about
After Rekka I had written an action script and I was looking for an action hero who would suit my story. A lot of them had commitments, and of the action heroes in the Tamil industry, the script was something new for Jiiva. He is the only one who has not done a film in this style. After fixing the hero, Vels Film International agreed to produce it and everything else fell into place quickly.
Tell us a little about the film’s story
This film is for women. We wanted to tell everyone that women are powerful. The film, in fact, has a dialogue – “Bulls are not the only animals with horns, deer have them too.” We can compare the deer to a woman. The deer’s antlers are even more dangerous. It is fair to say that they (women) have more power.
So tell us about the women in Seeru
All of them are new faces. I wanted women who looked native to Virudhunagar district. Therefore, we handpicked a group of 6-7 actors who were passionate about acting. You may not have seen them before. All of them play important roles in the film. They are the surprise element in the film.
What made you think of making this film for women?
I had a lot of anger about all that’s happening in today’s society. I don’t have sisters and I sometimes think that even if I had any I would not have valued them. When I see the incidents in which women are murdered in broad daylight, it angers me the most. How do men get the courage to do that act? Do they think it is easy to stab a woman? What will they do if the woman stabs them in return? This film is about that. It is about women saying: “We will stab you in return and everyone can just watch.”
So you have women playing important roles in your film and a hero who is frontlining it? How have you managed that in the script?
I think in real life men are there only to help women. In this film, Jiiva is there only to help the women.
Tell us a little about the filming itself, how long did you work on Seeru?
We worked sincerely from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm, whenever we were able to plan the schedule. Jiiva was simultaneously working on 83 and so he would get called anytime. We had to shoot at every given opportunity.
Jiiva has Gypsy next and he has been seen in films like Ko that came with a message. Did you think it might become a repetition for the audience?
There are always sub-genres. I’m sure it will be different.
It’s hard not to talk about your very first film Vaa Deal, which has been on hold for a very long time. What are your thoughts on this delay and what is happening with it?
No one works on anything with an intent that it should fail. This is how both myself and the producer worked on the film. But the situation has not been in our favour so far. But things will change and the film will release. Deal will have its value any day it releases.
Also, what do you think about the last-minute delays and show cancellations in Tamil cinema, which has become so common in the industry today?
One man’s fault will affect the entire crew. It is not wise to start on a new project without settling old dues. Avoiding this can solve the problem we are facing today.