Tamil filmmaker Pa. Ranjith has delivered blockbusters such as "Kabali" and "Madras". Even after directing superstar Rajinikanth twice successfully, the filmmaker is still learning about what the audience is expecting from him.
In an interview with IANS, the "Sarpatta Parambarai" director talks about working with the stars and OTT releases.
Does the audience's excitement put anything kind of pressure on him?
"Though I have made movies, I still don't know what really audiences expect from me. I feel that what I wish to convey in the movies, I try my best to convey that using my artists. Sometimes I may not be able to connect with the audience but I always try my best to make use of my artists to the fullest potential to connect with my audience. I don't believe in any small artists or big artists, since for me all artists are the same. I still strive passionately to convey what I like to the audience for them to enjoy and love my work," Ranjith tells IANS.
The renowned filmmaker, though has a strong body of work in Tamil cinema, has already signed a Bollywood film to direct.
He will be directing a film on life of freedom fighter Birsa Munda.
With the growing interactions between southern film industry and Bollywood, Ranjith feels southern content's value has increased.
"This is a very important dynamic. Before it used to be North and South but now, we seemed to have bridged the gap and have connected the space. So it has increased the value of South Indian films apart from the commercial angle like in films namely 'KGF' and 'Baahubali'...I believe that our content has always been strong and unchanged," he says.
Ranjith's recent release "Sarpatta Parambarai" is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The film starring, Arya in the lead role, is getting a good response from OTT viewers.
Was he nervous about releasing his film on a digital platform?
"I had mixed reactions. Though I am not upset that it is releasing in the OTT platform. I am actually happy that it is releasing in this digital version. We felt that it would have been great if the movie could have been released in the theatres because the ambience and the experience of the sound along with the presence of the audience would have definitely warranted a very good experience for the audience," he says.
Ranjith adds: "But, digital version is the new model and any modern tradition or model is only being influenced by the digital version nowadays. So, this digital platform connects directly to homes and larger audience apart from it being a good business model. We also need to adapt to this modern version in these contemporary times."