Known as the most under rated Tamil film-maker, Mysskin's dark stories rarely fail to strike a chord. In a freewheeling chat, he explains why he makes dark films, prefers working with newcomers and his passion for books. Mysskin also talks about his latest film Pissasu, a paranormal thriller, which is turning out to be a big hit in Tamil Nadu, besides getting rave reviews.
First things first. When did you realise cinema was your true calling?
I didn't last in one job for over three months. I thought I should find my vocation. Then, one day I was staring at a blank white wall, which appeared like a movie screen, in my room. I felt like it was talking to me.At that moment, I asked myself if I was eligible to be in the world of movies.And if I'm eligible then what role will I play? I thought I could be a writer as I read a lot. Since childhood, I've always liked to tell stories and people have been moved by it. So I decided to tell stories on screen.
You were employed in a bookstore in Chennai before you entered cinema?
Yes, I worked in the books section of Landmark. It was like a university, and my job was to barcode books. Whenever I came across a book on movie-making, I'd keep it aside and read it leisurely. I would complete my work in about five hours and spend the rest of the day in office reading books, which are my most cherished companions. If I'm stranded on an island, I can live the rest of my life if I have books in my company.
That why some of your films have references to books? For instance, in the last scene in Yuddham Sei, Cheran hands over a book of Viktor Frankl's `Man's Search for Meaning'.
More than my passion for books, I think the situation in the story demanded it. Cheran hands over the book to the boy who has lost everybody in his life. The purpose was to encourage him to find a purpose in life. It's one of the highly influential books I've come across. I thought why not inspire people to read it?
Do you feel audiences understand such references in your films?
As a filmmaker, I've always avoided spoonfeeding my audience. Cinema watching is like mental workout. You go to the gym for physical fitness. Likewise, when you watch a film, your mind should exercise and I want my films to give viewers that benefit. Hence, I prefer to not explain everything in detail. If a filmmaker puts 90 percent effort in making a film, the rest should come from the audience to understand and appreciate it.
Are you saying you like to inspire audiences with your films, but not entertain?
People have the wrong understanding of the word `entertainment' in our cinema. This word comes from Latin, and it literally means to `hold attention'. You can't entertain audiences with songs and dance. I want my films to hit audiences in the gut, inspire them so much that they skip eating, sleeping and think about my movie. I take money from people to give in return something that's beyond the usual definition of entertainment. When they leave the hall after watching my movie, they should feel like they've walked out of a library.
Contrary to your definition of entertainment, most of your films have reasonably done well, haven't they?
Success doesn't matter to me anymore. When I started making films, I wanted to succeed badly. I hated losing. It was only after Nandalala, I realised success is like a rat race.You always have to compete with someone to prove that you're better and superior. I didn't like it and since then I've stopped worrying about box-office numbers. Though Onayum Aatukuttiyum was a commercial flop, I consider it my biggest success because it gave me lot of admirers.
You like making stories with dark undertones...
My films are indeed dark, but underneath the darkness lie something very poignant. In Yuddham Sei, for instance, underneath all the darkness, the multiple killings, we learn the touching story of the couple who avenge their daughter's death. I think darkness leads to discovery. When we look under our cupboard, most of us would discover something we've been looking for a long time. It could be a comb, a visiting card or even a ring we may have accidentally misplaced. I make audiences look under the darkness in their lives for there might be something they've been searching for a while
You literally pick up actors from the road and cast them in your films. Why do you prefer working with newcomers?
I don't want to cast commercial actors. I don't think I can make them happy. I make very simple movies, my sense of acting and direction tend to be very different from theirs and I don't want to have a clash while making the film.
But you were to collaborate with Kamal Haasan for a project. What happened?
It got shelved for several reasons I don't like to discuss. It was a highly ambitious film but I don't have any plans of reviving it.
You use lot of recurring elements in your films. Are these your pet visuals?
People always wonder why I focus on the legs of my actors. If you see my films, my characters are always on the move. I capture their journey by showing their legs. Music in my films is very melancholic with the use of lot of strings, which creates the required mood for my stories. I've also used lot of martial arts-based stunts because I'm trained in it. All the recurring elements in my films have a purpose.
Your latest offering Pissasu is strikingly different from the usual horror genre.
I've always wanted to make a film in the paranormal genre. But I wanted to avoid all the cliches associated with it. Horror stories are always about revenge, but my film is about compassion. I've portrayed a very friendly ghost. Like my other stories, when you uncover the darkness in Pissasu, what you find will make you cry.
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