‘Ilaiyaraaja gave Dorothy a soul’: Director Karthik Subbaraj opens up about his new hit

In the 14 years he has been in the industry, director Karthik Subbaraj has seen his audience clap for his craft and whistle along in joy. With Iraivi (2016), he received quiet smiles and some tears of appreciation too. After that came mass films, some of which left audiences suitably happy. 

A decade later, for his tenth film, Dorothy, which speaks of friendship between two children and what transpires after one comes out as a trans woman, Karthik has received a gift unlike any other — audiences weeping with a mixture of relief and joy, trans women thanking him for making them feel seen, and warm hugs from absolute strangers. 

At a press meet, some trans women thanked the director for the film and referred to him as their younger brother. 

Sananth and Rishikanth, the leads, have been seen wiping the tears of audience members after the end credits rolled. Every theatre visit features warm hugs and a general sense of appreciation for making Dorothy.

But it did not begin this way. After Dorothy premiered at TIFF, some social media handles began a hate campaign because it speaks about LGBTQIA+ issues. Everyone seemed worried, but not Karthik. His simple mantra is “Be calm & believe in the audience.” It worked. 

Ilaiyaraaja’s score for the film has worked its magic. His lyrics and tune for the evocative ‘Muthumani’ have left many in tears. One trans woman said in an interview that many like her would use the song for future rituals. 

Karthik was in Hyderabad for the film’s Telugu release. In a more than hour-long phone interview, TNM caught up with him about why Dorothy needed to be made, what it took to make a film that crushes the male ego, and extracting amazing performances from his cast. 

The response to Dorothy has left many stunned. Did you expect this much love?

I knew that if people watched it with an open mind, it would connect with them emotionally. I thought it might make some uncomfortable and guilty for how they treat trans people and encourage them to be compassionate instead. 

But I did not expect it to trigger so much conversation. It was an emotional roller coaster writing this film. I did not foresee the wave of love and the extent to which it would reach people.

With each passing day, each re-watch, viewers are rejoicing in the small details they uncover. How does that make you feel?

For every movie, once the storyline is in place, I begin my research. With Dorothy, there was a lot of research. The imagery came from there. The amount of detailing you gather allows you to add value to your story. 

For instance, the rooster motif came from stories of how it is the mount of Goddess Bahuchara Mata. I then decided to explore that some more. With that came the rooster fights, and the rooster named Dorothy. Subbu is shown spending time nurturing the bird.

 It also helped that the film is set in Madurai, where rooster fights are common. It is a part of the landscape but also has a higher meaning in the film. 

Details like the bus with the word tharagai written on it, Angel Textiles, or ‘Raymond – The Complete Man', fell in place so beautifully. During shoots, one of my assistants spotted the bus leaving the stop and ran to bring it back. It feels wonderful when people notice these things. 

Directors often speak about the books and art they’ve consumed, but you usually don’t. But can you tell us about the research that went into Dorothy? 

I am not a big reader, though I buy a lot of books. But, when it comes to research for a topic I am working on, I try to read everything people recommend. For instance, there was a book on the ritual at the end of the film. 

After the first draft, I split my direction team up to go out and research. It can be books, it can be real life. They make a presentation with the information they’ve collected. I take inputs from that to rewrite a character or some scenes.

That is one reason why Subbu and Karthi do not travel to Mumbai. Instead, we decided to go ahead with this festival for Bahuchara Mata, which was very colourful.

Everyone tends to think this journey is dark and filled with sadness. It is not, for they are going to a festival. Those being taken for ritual are treated like a little child. They are given all they ask for because it is a rebirth of sorts. These details helped me decide the tone of that journey.

A reason why the film landed well is the performances. How did you extract this kind of output?

Dorothy was a different kind of film from the start. We did begin with getting someone to help Sananth and Rishikanth get the Madurai vibe. I’d sent them ahead to absorb the atmosphere of the place. 

But soon they said they’d like to do it their way. They’d figured out a way to live like the locals. After that, we had a detailed script reading session, where they absorbed the personalities of the characters. 

If they tied their lungis, I wanted the audience to think they’ve done it all their lives. If they rode a bicycle while pulling another one along, I wanted that to look effortless too. 

After detailed discussions, we would have talks on how they see the characters. When they told me what they thought, I had the confidence that this would work out well. 

People are still wondering what happened to Keerthy Suresh’s Dorothy. You kept it vague for a reason?

Yes, because usually society would look at it as an affair. I am sure some of the audience thought that way too. The father does notice, and you never can know what’s going on in his mind. 

I wanted the audience to know what Subbu’s bond with Dorothy is only when the family comes to know. When I see audiences guess what happened to her, it shows that they’ve paid attention to earlier events.

Sananth is someone you’ve worked with many times. Did you feel he entered a zone during the filmmaking?

Yes. My brief to him was that when people watch the film the first time, they should discover you as you discover yourself. The second time, they should realise that you always knew who you were, but no one else did. 

Sananth openly showcases machismo, stomps out in anger, is more comfortable around women, and can’t handle porn and blood. Yet when you watch it a second time, you’ll realise that when he walks out angrily from the restraunt, he stumbles against the owner and reacts the way a woman would when she accidentally knocks into a man, even though she has known him all her life. 

You will realise that Subbu has always loved Karthi. I thought Sananth outperformed in the single-shot sequence. You can notice the comfort level between him, Jeeva and the other trans women actors. 

Trans people’s stories rarely get told, especially as a classic romance. How did you walk that path? The song ‘Muthumani’ especially is reminiscent of ‘Kaadhalin Deepam Ondru’ from Thambikku Endha Ooru (1984). 

The initial drafts were slightly grey, even dark, but I wanted Dorothy to be a celebration of love. I felt the climax should feel like a classic romance film. I wanted them to feel the same excitement as we would when the hero or heroine rushes to the airport. 

That’s why the song ‘Muthumani’ is so important — I wanted you to see the distance a man in love would walk, with a smile. Yes, the initial reference was the iconic ‘Kaadhalin Deepam Ondru’, because it shows a man consumed by love.

I had written some scenes following that meeting on the hill. But once we shot the meeting scene, I felt this was how the film had to end. I did not even shoot the remaining portions.

Why would Keerthy’s Dorothy enter a home as dark as this, considering she does speak of a dreamy childhood?

We have all seen women who are so sensible and pleasant falling for men who simply don't deserve them. I did shoot a scene of domestic violence and another where Subbu asks Dorothy why she married his brother, but we eventually edited it out. The way we show it now hints at violence, but the abruptness of her death landed better.

Over the years, you’ve developed a corpus of great actors — Muthukumar (Whistle Veeraiah), Ramachandran Durairaj (Vadivu) — and use them inventively. Muthukumar, especially, was a revelation.

I've known Muthukumar since my Naalaya Iyakkunar days. He’s a product of the Koothu-p-Pattarai theatre group. He was supposed to play the role that Guru Somasundaram eventually did in Jigarthanda (2014). He’s like water. He can play any role using his orthodox acting training methods. 

He was originally supposed to play one of the brothers. Nasser was supposed to be Veeraiah, but due to scheduling conflicts, Muthu auditioned for the role. He was brilliant. It also worked for the film. It was possible to keep people guessing about his role. He was a picture of awful male pride.

The film speaks with nuance about caste and power. Veeraiah uses caste to keep Karthi away from his girlfriend. But another character castigates Subbu for speaking to a woman from a different caste. 

There’s a caste angle to everything. That’s the tragedy. Even in the police station, there's a subtle caste angle. The cop is happy that he’s making Veeraiah and his family stand while he sits. Little boys are asked what caste they belong to.

Veeraiah might believe he’s superior to all, but there’s another man who believes the same too. It is important to understand this nuance. Eventually, all of them turn against the person lowest in the hierarchy. 

You’ve made two films that celebrate women — Iraivi (2016) and now Dorothy. What role do women play in your life?

Women light up my world. My mother is from a family of six girls and three boys. I’ve been surrounded by my aunts. I’ve seen the personalities and lives of women I know change due to marriage. 

They stop laughing as much and cry often. Why do you think men are made fun of for ‘crying like a woman’? Because women are pushed into situations that force them to cry and constantly worry. Many are captives in their homes. 

In Iraivi, I hinted that women can be anyone they wish to be. But even there, you had a character who wanted a man to back her. But ensuring her that agency is important. 

Did you visualise Keerthy’s Dorothy as the divine feminine?

Yes. It helped that Keerthy Suresh played her like that too. She loved the script and what the character meant to Subbu. Her Dorothy is an angelic presence.

Finally, the music and Ilaiyaraaja’s sweeping background score. Was this a gift?

A big, big gift. 

Growing up, I possibly focused on the action on screen. We would go to movies wondering how many fights and how many songs. But I remember the song ‘Unnaithaane’ from Nallavanukku Nallavan (1984) distinctly. 

Music has a way of subconsciously entering your head and heart. When I was a teenager, I listened to Ilaiyaraaja’s 1986 album ‘How to Name It’ without knowing anything about it. I did not know how to process it. It wrung out my heart. 

The album stayed with me forever, in every form, from walkmans and MP3 players to now. It has helped me when writing. When friends meet, his music provides the background score. When we hit the highway, thousands of kilometres melt away when his music plays. 

But, when it comes to working with him or even approaching him for a project, I’ve been terrified. There is a respect tinged with fear. But with Dorothy, I felt I could. We had a very tight timeline. I had to get it ready before February for the festival circuit. So, I shot with reference music drawn from his works. 

I always believe art chooses its people. Dorothy chose Raaja. When he saw the first cut, he came on board and took it to another dimension. I created the body of Dorothy, he gave it soul.

Most first-time viewers are in a daze. Do you feel bad you can never watch this film with that gaze?

I usually never feel that way. But, this time, when I sat with the audience and saw their response, especially towards the climax, I felt sad I would never be able to watch it with their sense of wonder and not knowing what’s coming.