National Award-winning filmmaker Vetri Maaran's Viduthalai: Part 1 continues to enjoy a strong run in theatres and is now out on streaming on ZEE5. The period crime thriller film stars Soori in the lead role, with Vijay Sethupathi making an extended appearance, while filmmakers Gautham Vasudev Menon and Rajiv Menon are seen in crucial roles. With an extended version of Viduthalai: Part 1 now released in streaming as a director's cut, Vetri Maaran, Gautham Menon, and Rajiv Menon sat down with National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, the Editor-in-Chief of Galatta Plus, to talk about the film in detail, while also sharing their experiences during filming.
During the interaction, Vetri Maaran went on to reveal why he enjoys working with filmmakers as actors in his films. He said, "I really like working with directors as actors. I cannot have them part of the team otherwise. Of course, I can call him (Rajiv Menon) to do cinematography, but if there are directors, they will always understand what a director is trying to do, especially when your mind is so chaotic. The way you're working is so chaotic. Velraj (cinematographer) will say when my assistants ask him, 'He (Vetri Maaran) will tell you himself. Just do as he says.' Only that much he'll say. So, the commitment of the team, I find more in directors and since they know the challenges and the difficulties of making a film, I feel that they give more than 100 percent."
Chiming in Rajiv Menon said, "There's a sequence, I remember. It was around 1.30 in the night and we had a sequence where we were eating idli or vada. It was supposed to be a breakfast sequence. And, that scene was a very complicated shot. And, Vetri was really losing it because one of the actors was not eating. He said, 'It's looking fake. He's not eating it.' So, I can understand what he's saying because when you've already got into 11 takes, it's a continuous take, if you blow it, we'll have to do it again. So, he says, 'Just eat it, damn it. What's your problem?' (laughing). So, I was saying, 'How many ads have we done?' You know, when we shoot chocolate commercials, people bite and then spit it out. But, he was losing it like why can't you eat? It looks fake.' The swallow is important and the shot has to work. If the shot is not right, it doesn't work. Sometimes, you empathize with the agony." Vetri Maaran went on to reveal that the sequence Rajiv Menon was talking about will be featured in Viduthalai: Part 2.
Watch Vetri Maaran, Rajiv Menon, and Gautham Menon discuss in depth about Viduthalai: Part 1 in the video below:
