Suriya’s Soorarai Pottru is one of the most anticipated films of 2020. Based on the life of Air Deccan founder GR Gopinath, Soorarai Pottru is a semi-biographical film about the aviation industry. In Suriya’s words, Soorarai Pottru challenged him as an actor and producer.
Soorarai Pottru is the first big-budget Tamil film to skip the theatrical release and stream directly on Amazon Prime Video starting November 12. Before the big release, Suriya talks to IndiaToday.in about the movie, his relationship with Sudha, and how Soorarai Pottru challenged him as an actor.
Excerpts from the conversation:
You and Sudha go back a lot. Being your rakhi sister, you know her full potential. What are some of the qualities that led you to make a movie with her?
As a filmmaker, Sudha’s sincerity amazes me. She had this idea 10 years ago and she never gave it up. From the 18-page draft to the 40-page draft, we knew this was not an easy story. We had this big question, which is, “How important is a story about the aviation industry when we have other pressing issues?” Sudha took it as a challenge. After Irudhi Suttru, anyone would want to start the next project. But, he gave three years of his time to get it right.
No one would believe that Soorarai Pottru was finished in 60 days. It’s not about meeting the budget and completing it on time. We never had references, so taking that and leading the team is what impressed me. Be it the Indian Air Force or the Ministry of Civil Aviation, they give permission only when they like the story. It was not an easy film to produce or to visualize. It also made me behave like someone else. Bringing the character of Nedumaaran Rajangam to life was not easy. Maybe I made so many movies and I became complacent. Soorarai Pottru shook things up a bit.
This was possible due to how Sudha made the whole process transparent.
Nedumaaran Rajangam, also known as Maara, is someone who would do his best to fulfill his dreams …
Since Soorarai Pottru is a research-backed script, we were conscious of building the story without abrupt jumps. And it is not a one man army to accomplish everything alone. There are other characters that help him. The great hearts of these people are beautifully portrayed in the film. Soorarai Pottru is about a real life person and the challenges he faces. It is not in the usual environment and closer to reality.
How were your interactions with Captain Gopinath?
Sudha and I met Captain Gopinath only to receive his blessings and energy. I play Maara in the movie and not Gopinath and therefore I didn’t have to look like him in any way. He wanted us to not let go of the spirit of the Fly Again book and we promised. I was happy seeing Soorarai Pottru.
Here’s the trailer for Soorarai Pottru:
How did you and Sudha work to build Maara’s personality?
Most of the time, you see your shadows on the character. Sudha is like Maara. She often says she doesn’t have time to get ready and is seen in a black shirt. I think she gave me hers in the movie (laughs). It was what he thought of Maara.
Sudha had a list of expressions that she doesn’t want to see in you. How did you get over it?
My modulation, body languages, and sometimes my frown as well. She used to say, “You are not Singam here.” My intentions are not those, but sometimes, it comes out of habit. She helps me avoid such expressions and be more Maara.
Only some movies are special like Soorarai Pottru. Did you realize that the audience would feel the same even before the launch?
It was quite surprising for us. Making a movie is an organic process. Few films become works and some become part of life. Even when I was filming for Kaapaan in London, I worked on this movie. Sudha and I respect each other and there are no barriers between us. We have had many fights. Some days I expected it to be ready at 5.30am. We didn’t have to say thank you and apologize, but we did it anyway for the movie. Usually when friends work on a movie, there can be differences between them. We have grown closer and respect each other much more.
Be it Sudha and Jyotika, they have spoken of their unconditional support. In 2020, how important is being your ally?
Sometimes we just don’t realize how supportive we have been for the women in our lives. Now when I raise my children, I realize my mistakes. I was not around Jyotika and my daughter Diya when I was growing up. Jo is from another state and doesn’t know the language either. I left her alone when Diya was one month old. We need to create that work-life balance. We cannot just dismiss it by saying that it is contributing monetarily. They should embrace regardless of gender.
In India, a lot of unlearning has to happen. For a long time, I thought that my mom serving food wasn’t bad. Now, I want you to sit with me and eat with us. It all starts when you start to question things and raise boys and girls the same way without any differentiation. I am happy that my son Dev is growing up this way, which I missed. For a while, I didn’t notice it with my wife.
With Sudha and Jo, it’s natural to respect them for what they’re trying to do. Sudha wakes up at 4 in the morning to write a script and you want her to be more successful than you. You just have to stay behind and do your best to support her.
What are your learnings as a producer?
Sudha is the director of a producer. We had 96 oral parts in the movie and she had finalized the artists for all the characters. Some characters also had alternate actors. Preparing to anticipate a problem is what I learned from Sudha.
When he decided to release Soorarai Pottru on OTT, he had strong opposition from producers and theater owners. Is it ordered?
We are a great family. You have to explain things to them. Sometimes people take longer to understand. It is only for the greater good that we have followed the OTT path. No one can make up for what the theatrical experience can give you. But, I am grateful that we can connect with fans through Amazon Prime Video.
Jyotika has spoken about her concerns in commercial films. Do you make conscious decisions to incorporate it into your movies?
Yes. Your thought process changes before and after marriage or when you welcome a daughter into your life. According to your life, you evolve. Based on this, you decide what movies you want to make, what audience you want to serve, what kind of appreciation is important to you and what you value the most. After being in the industry for 20 years, you want to raise the bar. We need to connect intellectually with the audience so that we can grow collectively. They get bored if I give them the same boring movies. I think it is a responsibility to introduce new things through our films.
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