Galatta Plus Mega Tamil Roundtable 2023, a celebration of talent in Tamil cinema, was recently hosted by National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, the Editor-in-Chief of Galatta Plus, with esteemed filmmakers Mani Ratnam, Vetri Maaran, Sudha Kongara, Mari Selvaraj, Madonne Ashwin, and P.S. Vinothraj sharing their experiences in their filmmaking endeavors over the years. During the special discussion about their films, directors Sudha Kongara and Mari Selvaraj debated the reaction to Vetri Maaran's Asuran (2019), while also talking about the reason for its stupendous success.
Speaking about Asuran at the Galatta Plus Mega Tamil Roundtable 2023, Sudha Kongara said, "I remember vividly how someone I know watched the film during the dubbing stages and said that there are no chances it will run because of the violence depicted. But, he (Vetri Maaran) kept his voice intact and with that voice, you're giving a success. He (Mani Ratnam) has been doing that for forty years. We are fighting about this only now. This has been the case with Mani sir's every film." Mari Selvaraj then chimed in saying, "Asuran became a hit with its trailer itself. The dialogue in it made it a hit. The violence you're referring to was only later on. The dialogue about how the money and land will be seized, but not one's education, made Asuran a success. Irrespective of how much the violence gets shown, this film has registered its message."
Sudha Kongara further stated, "I like that aspect. I too would be crying about how little my salary is and the budget for my film, but in actuality, I have sat down and thought about how I cannot make a film like that. In fact, the film that he (PS Vinothraj) made (Koozhangal), I cannot make. I love it, but I can't do it since it's not my voice. So, in such a situation, in the mainstream, you're doing a different cinema and it's a great achievement."
Watch the Galatta Plus Mega Tamil Roundtable 2023 below:
