KARTHIK SUBBARAJ

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.

The girls who come into Tamil cinema today are educated and from well-to-do families. Unlike the actresses of my generation, they do not need cinema for survival. We cannot write a small role - dead cast, as I call it - and expect them to be excited.

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

There are some stories that can be told in two hours and some in 20 minutes.

For 'Neer,' we spent about Rs. 70,000 just on the boat.

I did a lot of short films before doing feature films.

A short film is not a shortened feature film. It has a soul of its own.

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.

When I was making short films for the TV show 'Naalaya Iyakunar,' I wasn't just competing but making films that I could potentially show at international festivals.

I grew up idolising Rajinikanth, and I've always wanted to see him in a certain way. When I knew I was going to write for Rajini sir, I wanted to show him in the most stylish way and bring back his mannerisms and machismo.

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

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.

While working in Bangalore, I was making short films.

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.

Vijay Sethupati has been a part of almost all my films. He trusts me blindly, and I feel the same trust in his abilities each time.

Luckily, 'Petta' encompasses all the dimensions of Rajini sir's performances. His main strengths are his charm, style, and the fun that he represents.

Following the success of 'Pizza,' I am really glad that C. V. Kumar of Thirukumaran Entertainment has extended his support to a new director, Deepan Chakravarthy, to direct 'Pizza 2 - The Villa.' I wish this team to have a great success like 'Pizza.'

Mani Ratnam is my biggest inspiration.

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.

A theatrical release is not possible for a short film.

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.

You need to be a good filmmaker to make a compelling two-minute film as well.

Once I heard Karunakaran was part of 'Lingaa,' I told him to somehow arrange for me to meet Thalaivar. The 'Jigarthanda' team met him when he was shooting in Shimoga. It was a memorable meeting, as he opened the door for us, sat, and answered whatever we asked him. And, I got to meet him twice in two days!

'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.

In India, we always look at feature films as a progression over short films. But, abroad, people make a living making short films. The revenue might not be as much as in feature films, but the return on investment is good.