Sasikumar Interview: Directors should approach every film like it's their debut

Directors who turn actors often talk about how once they are cast in a film, they switch off their filmmaker personality and focus on their performances alone. However, sometimes, the directorial instincts might take over. In the case of Sasikumar, that happened as soon as he was approached for his upcoming family drama, Tourist Family. “After I read the script, I realised that nobody would agree to do this film except me,” he says with lighthearted confidence. Sasikumar elaborates, “I know that no other actor in Tamil cinema would be perfect for that role because you have to play the father of a 16-year-old boy. Either the stars would ask to remove the 16-year-old son from the story or they would insist on playing that role as well,” he laughs. According to the actor-director, the Tourist Family team did end up facing these issues while trying to cast for the role of Das, before they eventually set their eyes on Sasikumar. 

Known for playing rustic, rugged roles, Sasikumar was looking for something different when Tourist Family arrived as the perfect opportunity. “Apart from the fact that it was a good story, I was also looking for such a family entertainer,” he says. Further delving into his favourite aspects of the story, Sasikumar says, “Tourist Family speaks of humanitarian values. The film is about a Sri Lankan Tamil immigrant family but it never exploits their plight for sympathy. Whenever Tamil films set their story around Sri Lankan Tamils, they mostly tend to be full of misery, violence, or fiery chest-thumping dialogues. I liked how Tourist Family didn’t take that approach. It shows how this particular family tries to deal with their difficulties in a lighthearted manner.” According to Sasikumar, the most appealing characteristic of Das, his role in the film, is how he deals with his struggles and still remains a likeable person towards the end.

Tourist Family marks the directorial debut of Abishan Jeevinth, with a star-studded cast of versatile performers like Sasikumar, Simran, MS Bhaskar, Elango Kumaravel, Yogi Babu, Ramesh Thilak, and Bagavathi Perumal. One wonders if the debutant felt nervous while extracting performances from senior actors. “Thankfully we didn’t have any troublemakers,” says Sasikumar with a smile. “The cast was full of amazing people who were understandable and easy to work with,” he says. As someone who produced his debut directorial and launched several first-time filmmakers, Sasikumar is well aware of the intense responsibilities that go with making your first film. “Abishan is the 11th debutant I’m working with,” says Sasikumar, before adding, “I decided early on in my career that either through my production company or as an actor, I should introduce at least ten filmmakers into the industry. I’m glad that I’ve already crossed that number. I’ve already started working with a 12th debut director.” Sasikumar’s last film as a producer is the 2017 film Kodiveeran. “If I still had my production company, the number of debut directors I introduced would have easily crossed twenty by now,” says the actor-director. 

As someone who observed a long list of debut directors up close, Sasikumar says one of the important qualities for someone making their first film is to understand the seriousness of the job. “You have to have a sense of responsibility,” he says. “They don’t call directors the ‘captain of the ship’ for nothing. You might have the perfect story but that does not guarantee a win, you have to take responsibility for almost every single aspect of the film. Success doesn’t come easily and your first film might be a hit but that does not guarantee a win for your second film. That is why directors should approach every film like it is their debut film.” He then looks to his filmography to elaborate on his point. “Just because everyone liked Subramaniapuram, it doesn’t mean they will like everything I make after that. Subramaniapuram is not my first film anymore, Easan is not my first film anymore, whatever I direct next is going to be my first film,” says Sasikumar. 

Even though he has donned several hats, from an actor, writer, and producer, Sasikumar reveals that his favourite job is direction. Is that because receiving applause as an actor means you have to share with the director who extracted the performance and the writer who wrote the lines? Sasikumar says it's not a matter of applause but what feels fulfilling while doing the job. He takes his much-appreciated performance from his 2023 film Aythoi, directed by R Manthira Moorthy, as an example. “Towards the end of Ayothi, when I utter the name ‘Abdul Malik’, the crowd cheered, and all that appreciation goes to the director. But I earn a small part of that appreciation as well because I help bring his vision to the screen.” On the topic of creative vision, Sasikumar’s critically acclaimed directorial debut Subramaniapuram, is a rustic revenge drama with unapologetic and visceral violence. While many directors speak about creating their debut work from personal experiences, Sasikumar says he also seeks stories that are far removed from his own lived experiences. “I did not experience the violent, small-town life portrayed in Subramaniapuram while growing up. It was also the case with Easan. I wasn’t aware of the nightlife culture I portrayed in that film,” he says. The filmmaker’s reason for delving into unknown topics inadvertently touches upon his advice for debut directors. It all somehow boils down to an increased sense of responsibility. Sasikumar explains, “I like delving into new worlds, of people and cultures I am unfamiliar with. I like learning new things and then offering my learning in the form of films to my audiences. If I’m extremely familiar with the subject matter of my film, if it is drawn from my own personal experiences, I might become careless because I will be overconfident. On the other hand, If it is an unfamiliar territory, I will be more serious, I will have a heightened sense of responsibility.”  

While his answer touches upon Easan, the filmmaker ponders upon the reception of the film when it was released. Sasikumar says, “The film spoke about things I wasn’t familiar with like rave parties, drugs, and pub culture, but I think it wasn’t that familiar to the audience as well when it came out. The culture is prevalent now, which is why I think I should have waited to make that film.” He also says he is planning to rerelease the film with minor changes. “Through editing, I want to change the order of certain scenes, make minor changes, and then bring Easan back to the theatres,” says the filmmaker. Sasikumar’s philosophy of weaving stories around new and exciting topics also extends to his upcoming directorial. “I am working on a period film and it is about a subject that is new to me. I am reading and researching a lot and I can’t wait to bring it to the screens,” says a hopeful Sasikumar.