Quotes from Thiagarajan Kumararaja

Aaranya Kaandam' is not the biography or history of a gangster but a page out of the life of a gangster. It is like a day in his life.

I've been trying to write since 1998 after dropping out of Visual Communication from Loyola. My parents have been supportive.

I generally won't give importance to language barriers. If I feel an actor will fit into the role I will approach.

I did not fix any genre for 'AK.' We just write a story and audience will put it in a genre as they perceive it.

If the film succeeds at the box office it is a commercial film. Otherwise it isn't.

The pivotal scene in 'AK,' where Jackie Shroff 's character Singaperumal parades around his room in the buff, is a metaphor for his false sense of prde and arrogance.

Even if you come up with a conventional script, directors face several issues in convincing people to get on board.

Once you create a believable fictional universe, you suck the audiences into that world and they tag along for the ride.

I go for actors who do precisely what is expected of them.

I like to be in that space, the same middle-class man. Otherwise, you become completely detached from reality.

It is their job as actors to play different people. Should only a doctor play a doctor's role?

I watched 'Disco Dancer' when I was very young. I have always loved its songs.

It is up to the directors to take risks in telling a story and if they want to experiment, they should work with the right kind of people.

Even though 'Aaranya Kaandam' wasn't successful or seen by many people, it has an aura around it. It's a false aura, but it has helped me get things done.

There's nothing Vijay Sethupathi can't pull off, right?

I'm a huge fan of Doordarshan, so my influences range from international to local.

Gangster films are exciting.

The 'Mahabharata' is the best story ever. It makes you believe that impossible things can be made possible. There is magical realism.

Mostly, I am waiting. Got to finish the edit, I am waiting. Dubbing must get over, I am waiting. Waiting for shoot. Waiting for the set. When you are waiting, your mind isn't relaxed enough to watch a film.

We all make films to be hits.

I am totally inspired by 'Godfather,' one of the greatest films made. Also, I am fascinated by the thought of how someone becomes a gangster and continues to be one.

The pleasure for me is in the writing process, which has its own challenges.

If I have to name someone who is responsible for me coming to films, it is Ilayaraja's music. From a young age, I've been a huge fan of his music. Because of that, I studied Visual Communication.

I like films and I have been watching films from a young age. So, making films happened to be a natural progression.