Do not compare 'Puli' to 'Baahubali', says Chimbu Devan
Back in 60s and 70s, fantasy films were the favorite genre in Kollywood. We had Pattinathil Bootham, Vedhala Ulagam, Allaudinum Arbutha Vilakkum but after that filmmakers did not show big interest in making such flicks. After a long time, it was Chimbu Devan who re-explored fantasy genre through his films like Imsai Arasan, Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam and now he is all set for the never seen before fantasy adventure of Indian cinema, Puli starring Ilayathalapathy Vijay, which will be releasing in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi on October 1.
“Basically I’m a cartoonist and right from my childhood days, had interest for comic books and characters. Maybe that’s why I prefer to make such fantasy flicks”, said Chimbu Devan.
“Everyone would have loved fantasy films during their childhood. Before thirty years, Tamil cinema used to produce a lot fantasy films but due to some unknown reasons, we have stopped making such movies but even now, Telugu filmmakers are exploring it”, added the director.
“Advantage of making adventure fantasy film is that this particular genre does not have language barrier. Right from six to sixties,it will be liked by all age groups, and the icing on the cake is of course, having a big hero like Vijay on board. I’m sure Puli will not only attract the loyal fans of Vijay for by all the movie buffs”, gushed Chimbu Devan.
There were rumors that Chimbu Devan went with a story board to narrate the script for Vijay but the director has a different version to say “No, I met Vijay sir only with a bounded script and right after the first listen, he told me ‘I was expecting this kind of story for a long time. Do it without making any changes’ which has gave me a lot of confidence”, said the director.
But the director indeed had a story board during the process of filmmaking. When asked, Chimbu said “ As I said earlier, being a cartoonist I had the advantage of drawing my own scenes which has helped me for having clear communication with my art director and cinematographer”.
Normally fantasy flicks in International cinema would consume a lot of time but Chimbu Devan finished Puli within one year, which is remarkable. Speaking about it, the director said “We don’t really have the freedom like foreign filmmakers but I won’t complain considering the limitation prevails here”.
“ I see the process of completing a film within the said time period is a professional ethics of a director and I’m glad we have done it in Puli”, added the director.
For Puli, Chimbu Devan along with the VFX supervisor RC Kamalakannan and art director Muthuraj worked together even before the commencement of the film. Everything is preplanned in Puli which is the main reason for completing the film in a record time.
“I would say RC Kamalkannan and Muthuraj’s work in the film is remarkable. Visuals would be seen blended in the movie that you can’t say which is real set and which one is VFX. ”, said Chimbu Devan.
Going by the trailer, the film gives us a feeling of set in ancient period with kingdom backdrop. When asked whether the dialogues used in the film is ‘classic Tamil’ or colloquial language, Chimbu Devan said “I prefer not to reveal it now because you have to experience it on screen but I’m sure it will be interesting. Watch out”.
Talking about Sridevi who is making her comeback in Tamil films after 28 years, Chimbu Devan said “Sridevi mam plays a queen in the film. When she heard the story, her immediate reaction was ‘I have done many films in my carer but this character and backdrop is very unique. I will definitely do this project’”.
Sharing the experience in working with the legendary actress, Chimbu Devan said “ Sridevi mam is a positive person and she is completely down to earth”.
The director has already said that his film is no Baahubali and the comparison is irrelevant. “ Puli is a fantasy adventure which is sure to appeal for universal audiences. If you come without any expectation, it would be more than satisfying”, signs off Chimbu Devan.
