One is an introvert. The other, a man of few words.

When director Selvaraghavan and music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja sat down together for an interview with MetroPlus, there were long pauses and periods of silence. They don’t believe in making statements verbally, but visually... something that they have been successful at for the past 17 years, traversing multiple genres in hits such asThulluvadho Ilamai, Kaadhal Kondein, 7G Rainbow Colony and Pudhupettai. They are now back again after a decade with NGK, a political thriller that is set to hit screens later this month.

Excerpts from the interview:

Your first film Thulluvadho Ilamai turned 17 recently. Let’s go back to that day when it all started...

Selva: We were young, adventurous and trying something different in music. Thulluvadho Ilamai was a learning curve in many ways. When I think of those days, what strikes me is that Yuvan never listened to me. But today, he does (laughs).

Yuvan: We started work on Kaadhal Kondein much before Thulluvadho Ilamai. When I heard the script of Kaadhal Kondein, I pitched it to a lot of people because it touched me personally. I even remember meeting Simbu once and narrating it to him as well. The content was strong and inspired me.

Be it ‘Idhu Kadhala’ or ‘Neruppu Koothadikuthu’, Thulluvadho Ilamai was an important film as far as music was concerned. It brought a new set of tunes into Tamil filmdom. What was the brief that was given to Yuvan?

Selva: I explained the script that dealt with youngsters and their emotions in detail to Yuvan. We could relate to it since all of us (including a 17-year-old Dhanush) were young back then. Although Yuvan is still a youngster (laughs). Yuvan did a fantastic job with the music. I was shooting for the climax in Ooty and that’s when I realised Thulluvadho Ilamai’s impact because the songs had released and were playing in buses and tea stalls.

How did you process the reception to the chartbusters of Thulluvadho Ilamai?

Yuvan: The reception was quite good actually. These days, it’s easy to keep track of your music and its impact. But back in the day, there was no social media and you never knew whether the song was a hit or not.

So, how does your creative collaboration work? How does Selva’s plain textual brief get translated into soulful music?

Yuvan: The process, if I can use that word, is spontaneous. We never used to sit and think for days for a song. Be it ‘Ninaithu Ninaithu’ from 7G Rainbow Colony or whatever we worked till day, Selva would brief me about the situation, and I just started composing.

Is that all there’s to it?

Yuvan: All it takes is a couple of minutes (laughs). I’m not saying that the process is too easy. It’s just that when I hear Selva’s narration, the song begins to germinate in my head. So, when I sit at the composing table, the music sort of flows.

In spite of Selva’s fascination for dark subjects in his initial years?

Yuvan: Yes, I could connect with them, because I consumed quite a lot of world cinema at that point. His films might come across as dark or offbeat, but the approach is still mainstream. Most filmmakers tend to miss that balance, but he has mastered it over the years.

So, why did you part ways, despite having a successful run at the box office?

Selva: All of us have differences of opinion. Sometimes he’s right and I’m wrong and vice versa. But both of us understand each other to some level. That’s why we have been associated for a long time now.

We’re looking forward to seeing that magic again in your upcoming film NGK, which marks the return of your collaboration after almost a decade.

Selva: NGK is a political thriller and that is challenging. Musically, the scope for Yuvan was limited but he has still pulled it off.

It also features a big star (Suriya). Did that create extra pressure?

Selva: Not at all. Suriya sir loves music. In fact, he was the one who was really looking forward to this combination. He was really excited for our comeback.

Some of your best background scores have come from Selva’s films...

Yuvan: There were days when we thought of releasing the OST (original soundtrack), just like how Hollywood does it now. In fact, the background score of 7G Rainbow Colony took us about half a month.

Was there a song that took a long time to compose?

Selva: I think ‘Ninaithu Ninaithu’ (7G Rainbow Colony).

Yuvan: Actually, no. I remember vividly because he was sleeping when I began the composing (laughs). When I saw him asleep, I thought: ‘I should play a tune that should wake him up’. I remember ‘Kanaa Kaanum Kaalangal’ taking up way more time.

From 7G Rainbow Colony to Yaaradi Nee Mohini, your collaboration has resulted in a lot of memorable love songs...

Yuvan: I explore the scope for such songs when I listen to the script itself. For the ‘Yengeyo Paartha Mayakkam’ song (in Yaaradi Nee Mohini, which was written by Selva), he told me: ‘There’s a guy waiting at the signal and this girl crosses him’. That core sequence inspired me to come up with the song.

Finally, do you have a favourite director-composer duo? There’s Mani-Ilaiyaraaja, Mani-Rahman, Gautham-Harris and so on...

Yuvan: I like all of them. But Mani Ratnam and Appa (Ilaiyaraaja) is my choice. The barriers they broke were phenomenal. Take Thalapathi, for instance, the introduction ‘Rakkamma’ had to be a ‘mass-y’ song, but Appa vandhu finger snap la pannirupaaru.

Has there been instances where Selva blew you with the visuals?

Yuvan: A lot of times. I really liked the visuals of ‘Nenjodu Kalathidu’ which is one of my favourites.

Do you have a favourite song from NGK?

Selva: I really liked ‘Anbae Anbae’ (smiles)

You have also worked with other composers who have given good songs. What would you say sets Yuvan apart from the rest?

Selva: Every composer is different and operate in their own way. With Yuvan, it has been a long journey. These days, I don’t have to spell out of things for him (laughs).

Is there an album that gave you the most satisfaction?

Selva: Every album he has given so far is great, but I was thoroughly satisfied with Pudhupettai.

Yuvan: I wouldn’t say ‘most’ because it keeps changing. But yeah, Pudhupettai and 7G Rainbow Colony are close to my heart.