Quotes from Karthik Subbaraj

When I was making short films, I didn't see a way to give them a wider reach or earn revenue out of it.

Until I was pursuing my collegiate education, I was in Madurai with my parents. Bengaluru was the first place where I was independent. So, the city is very close to my heart.

A theatrical release is not possible for a short film.

I would like to direct good actors, and there are good actors who are stars.

If a star film does not have a good story, it will not run. This will make stars choose good scripts consciously.

'Mercury' is about a big company exploiting a small town. There is a place in Tamil Nadu called Kodaikanal. It had a thermometer factory, which would dump the mercury into the river. This affected a lot of people. This incident is the inspiration for this film.

I start writing with an open mind without thinking about genre and realise, only after writing, that it falls under many genres.

I met Rajini sir after 'Jigarthanda,' and he said he liked my film. He told me I could approach him whenever I had a good idea. I had never thought he would listen to scripts from new directors. After the meeting, I wondered, 'Should I take his words seriously or not? Should I write something?'

When I thought of writing for Rajini sir, I told myself it will be a really cool character with a very happy-go-lucky attitude. We took such a character and placed him in a strong story, and I believe, as a combination, it has worked wonders.

After doing two feature films, I got an idea for a thriller film and felt this could be made without any dialogues.

The core plot of 'Mercury' is so gripping that when I thought of making it as a silent film, it only made it more interesting. Once I finished writing the first draft, making a silent film that's both thrilling and engaging seemed possible. When the film team read the final script, they felt the same.

Usually, I write my scripts first, then think of the actors, or I have a reference of someone.

I worked in a software company in Bangalore and made short films during weekends. I learnt the basics during a one-day workshop called Film Camp Sanjay Nambiar.

I was doing it the amateur way, doing everything myself till 'Naalaya Iyakunar.' They said, 'You need crew members'; they insisted on having proper production values. So I learnt a lot about making films for that show.

I grew up in a house that adored Thalaivar. There would be major discussions at home whenever a film of his was due for release, and we would manage to watch the film on the first day.

I believe filmmakers must travel with their creations long after release.

I have been trying to get theatre releases for short films ever since I have been making them. I didn't get any response from theatres initially.

Good actors can make a huge difference to a scene that might sound or read flat.

I remember, when I was working in Bengaluru, Rajinikanth's film 'Sivaji' was releasing, and I wanted to watch it the first day, first show. My manager did not want me to take the day off, and I made up excuses stating that there was an issue at home and I had to go.

For a cinematographer, every frame has to be important.

I started as a short filmmaker and found that one of the toughest challenges was getting your film to be watched. I would enter it in competitions and release it online, but getting a mainstream theatre-going audience to view the film is difficult.

'Mercury' is one of the most challenging projects I have worked on. From the nuances of the actors' expressions to the minute technicals of the movie, everything needed to be monitored and looked into. The actors were required to emote purely with their face.

No, I am not after huge stars. But I have no reservations about working with stars.

Ever since I made the short film 'Black And White,' which had almost no dialogues, the idea of making a silent feature film fascinated me.