Nesippaya director Vishnu Varadhan: ‘My equation with Ajith sir and Nayanthara is beyond cinema’

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‘I am supposed to make films for me, right?’

But in an era where almost every filmmaker moves from one project to another in record time, Vishnu Varadhan’s approach might seem unnerving. “If it isn’t in my comfort zone, I won’t do it. I am supposed to make films for me, right? I must enjoy that process. Of course, cinema might not allow for such gaps, but it is upto us. I have gone through that phase of wanting to do something constantly, but it passed,” says the Sarvam director, who remains committed to the idea that people might forget the filmmaker, but what truly matters is something else altogether. “When I go to them with a good product, would they appreciate it for its merits? That’s all that matters in the world of cinema.”

‘Men like to see dominating women’

Talking about the romance in his films, and how it is made up of women who are strong-headed and won’t step back from challenges, Vishnu Varadhan simply credits it to the women in his life. “I think the women in my life are very much like that. My storytelling is what I see around me. Emotions displayed in my films are a reflection of what I feel in my life,” points out Vishnu, who sports a wide smile before adding, “The fact is, we like to see women like that. When a woman is dominant and expressive about their wants and desires, there is kick to it.” Even in Nesippaya, Aditi plays a character who is clear about what she wants, be it an immediate rendezvous at the middle of the night, some space to think, or even a breakup. “As we evolve as people, we also evolve as filmmakers. So, Nesippaya is a film that is born out of my understanding of the evolution of love and relationships.”

Aditi Shankar and Akash Murali play the leads in Vishnu Varadhan’s Nesippaya.

‘My films don’t define me’

But this understanding isn’t something that happened right from the time he became a filmmaker. He had to go through trials by fire over the years despite the dizzying heights of success. “You know, there was a reporter who once asked me why I was so happy despite my film being quite average. That’s when I realised something very important. All that matters is giving 100 % to our work. The results don’t matter. My films don’t define me,” said Vishnu Varadhan, who also understands the love that comes his way courtesy his films with Ajith Kumar — Billa and Arrambam. “I know that people love it. I also know many might not be bothered by my other films, and I am absolutely okay with it. The way they are pumped up about our possible collaboration is wholesome.”

‘My relationship with Ajith sir and Nayanthara is beyond work’

Even if Vishnu Varadhan has amassed an interesting filmography over the years, there is no doubt that the crown jewel is Billa. It was such a colossal success that it continues to cast its shadow over other films of Vishnu. In fact, whenever reports of Vishnu collaborating with Ajith does the rounds, the hype reaches feverish heights, but the filmmaker remains firmly grounded, and says, “Even recently, we were supposed to work on a film together. In fact, it has happened twice in the recent past. But things just didn’t fall into place, and Ajith sir was very sweet to understand,” says Vishnu, adding, “But my relationship with Ajith sir is beyond work, and I like to keep it like that.”

Elaborating on their equation, Vishnu Varadhan adds, “I can sit and talk to him about a lot of other topics too. We can talk about food, the places we visited, etc… The same thing I do with Nayan (Nayanthara) too. You definitely need such relationships in cinema, and honestly, my circle is very small.”

Ajith, Vishnu Varadhan and Nayanthara in a BTS still from their first collaboration, Billa.

‘Never backstab people’

Throughout the interview, there were many places where Vishnu Varadhan spoke about his friendships, and why he would always consider his peace in these equations more than any other potential success that might come his way. Talking about the time when he was asked to cast bigger stars in his personal favourite, Pattiyal, Vishnu explains why he stuck with the casting of Arya and Bharath.

“One thing I learnt from my own experience is to never backstab people. I can’t sleep peacefully. Why should I jump ship and antagonise people who stood by me when I didn’t have anything. Also, if I do it once, what is the guarantee that I might not do it again. I don’t want to become that kind of a person,” says Vishnu, who also believes the buck stops with him in terms of the way his films turn out to be. “I don’t like to point out the hero or the producer or any other reason if a film doesn’t work well. I will fight for my film till the day of the release. Once it does, I completely detach myself. The audience owns the film once it is released.”

Here’s the Nesippaya trailer

‘I don’t like to carry an image’

With just a day left for the release of Nesippaya, a film that he made just out of the love for Akash Murali, and his wife Sneha, who is also the producer of the film, Vishnu Varadhan understands that romantic films in today’s times does carry the risk of being called ‘cringe.’ Asserting that he is not burdened by such tags, the filmmaker says, “I cannot think for ten people. All I think of is whether what I’m writing affects me. I don’t like to carry any image either. I want to do some crazy things, and even if it is not exactly reflecting reality, I’m absolutely okay with it.”

Even if he doesn’t want to carry an image, there can be no doubt that he is the calling card for Nesippaya. “Anywhere I go… even with Shershaah, I made sure I can continue working the way I do. In fact, being the calling card for my films is an adrenaline rush. Even if I work with a Salman Khan or a Shah Rukh Khan, I still want it to be my films. That is what gives you credibility as a filmmaker. I don’t want to settle in a comfort zone.”

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‘I want to be the king…’

It is this excitement that is taking him places all over again. After a brief return to Tamil cinema, Vishnu Varadhan is back to Bollywood. “I have to go back to Hindi. There is a commitment with Karan Johar that I have to adhere to. So my next will be with him. But I haven’t zeroed in on anything,” says the filmmaker, who reiterates that he isn’t interested in running a race where the stars of his films gets bigger and bigger. “I should be able to do all kinds of films. I love to run, but not in a race track. I don’t want to look around and see any competitors in the same race. I want to run in a jungle. I want to run as long as I want to, in the speed I want to, and even stop and sleep for a while if I want to. I want to be the king of that jungle,” signs off a confident Vishnu.