Spontaneity of Delhi Ganesh sir was the highlight for us: AR Raghavendra
AR Raghavendra is making his directorial debut with the fantasy thriller titled Maayakoothu , which, he says, is 'about a writer who creates an unjust world in his fiction and what he does when he comes face-to-face with a character from his story that seeks justice'.
'
DELHI GANESH
SIR ACTED IN OUR FILM FOR A VERY LOW SALARY'
Raghavendra informs us that Nagarajan Kannan plays the writer, while Aishwarya Raghupathi plays the character who has faced injustice. Late actor Delhi Ganesh has played an important role in the film too.
Speaking about the legendary artiste, the filmmaker shares, 'We were initially sceptical about asking him to act in the film because we had a limited budget. But he received us well and understood the limitations of an independent film.
He acted in our film for a very low salary.'
'Ganesh Sir's improvisations and spontaneity turned out to be the highlight during filming. Since we shot the movie in 2023, he had also dubbed for his character in the film,' Raghavendra adds.
We shot the film during weekends and by taking leaves: AR Raghavendra
The director tells us that even though making an independent film was filled with challenges, he and his team enjoyed the process. He says, 'Many in the team, including me, had full-time jobs. It was challenging to manage work-life and filming. So, we shot the film during the weekends and by taking planned leaves. We made sure to finish the shoot in a short timespan and to not miss continuity. We learnt in the process of filming.
'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
5 days ago
- News18
Maayakoothu Movie Review: A Brilliant Case For Relentless Optimism Amid Ruin
Last Updated: When an egoistic writer creates tragic stories that are borderline sadistic, the characters begin to haunt him and demand he do right by them. Vasan (Nagarajan Kannan), an egotistical writer with a god complex, makes a living by writing stories for a small magazine. He avoids mainstream magazines, citing the lack of freedom. Even his magazine's editor (Delhi Ganesan) calls magazine stories a dying art. But Vasan is adamant and relentless. His resolve is also seen in his writing and his choice of creating tragic stories where the oppressed and people on the fringes of society get tortured. Parallel to Vasan's narrative, we get three other narratives, and it takes a while to understand that the three stories are by Vasan. One is about a gangster, Dhanapal (Sai Dheena), on the precipice of finishing his 50th murder assignment. The second one has Selvi (Aishwarya Raghupathi), a domestic worker struggling to make money for her son's school fees, and the third is another tragic tale of an aspiring doctor, the daughter of a poor farmer, who doesn't have the means to attempt the NEET exam. All three stories teem with archetypal tropes of poverty and oppression that cater to a particular gaze of society. Vasan has an air of superiority while weaving their stories of torture, but his characters start tormenting him, demanding he write more responsibly. He claims his characters are after his life, and thus begins a maze of a story where the lines of reality blur. AR Ragavendra does a splendid job in the way he unravels the different arcs, and he is effective in making you root for his characters instantly. Within minutes, we see ourselves wanting Selvi out of her fix. There is a sustained anxiety watching these painful stories unfold, which, in turn, makes us detest Vasan. However, beyond his ego, Vasan also justifies his stories of cynicism, where the poor and oppressed have no hope of recovery. 'Only one in a million succeed, and we create an illusion of hope based on that," he argues to his mentor. Yet, as the story unravels and reaches its crescendo, it reveals the need for relentless optimism in the face of hopelessness. A particular scene involving an auto driver is an example of the brilliant depth of Maayakoothu. The driver, another creation of Vasan, puts forth an incredible point about how the common narrative of society can be changed by individuals. The film argues for a fair representation of people, even if it is absent in reality. While Vasan wants to reflect the painful reality in his stories, AR Ragavendra and the film's writer, M. Srinivasan, argue for conscious creators and creations that would inspire hope. It is rather a radical perspective, and it is up to the viewers to agree or protest against its message. However, Maayakoothu succeeds in how it makes its argument. The film is a largely entertaining drama with suspense that is maintained till the end. The elements of fantasy—of characters coming to life—are handled with mature dexterity. It could all be happening in Vasan's head, or they could be real. Either way, the film makes for an engrossing watch. Added to its merit are the performances of almost all the actors. Nagarajan Kannan is infuriating as Vasan, and that's a major win. Most often, it is a risk to have a hateable protagonist, but the constant self-aware humour relieves such tension, and you begin to see Vasan as a tortured soul rather than a sadistic writer. Maayakoothu is another example of how indie filmmakers and small-budget films reach greater heights of storytelling and immense depth in philosophical thought than our mainstream cinema. Maayakoothu releases in theatres on July 11. First Published:
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- New Indian Express
Wheels within wheels: What Sundar Sarukkai's Water Days tells us about Bengaluru and who belongs
People of Water Days The novel introduces a constellation of characters that reflect a city in flux: Raghavendra, a middle-aged security guard who becomes an unlikely detective; Poornima, his sharp, grounded wife; Rajesh, a Bihari student who avoids engaging with the city; Nagaraj, a scheming friend with political links; and Mari Muthu — later Mari Gowda — who reshapes his identity to fit in. But at the centre is Raghavendra — no Poirot or Holmes, just a man navigating loneliness and survival. Sarukkai, a fan of Lee Child and John Le Carré, pairs his protagonist's modest dream of running a grocery store with a reluctant detective arc, using it to question the very idea of crime fiction in India. 'How do you write a detective story in a country where the family is always involved — in everything? In the West, detectives function independently. Here, you can't move without your family's input — your job, your marriage, even where you live.' This social fabric becomes the case itself. Raghavendra's investigation is less about finding a culprit and more about navigating the city's tangled web — of class, language, fear, and fate — all while holding onto his quiet dream. Water Days is Sarukkai's second novel, after Following a Prayer (2023), a more emotionally intense debut set in a remote village in the Western Ghats. That book dealt with rural silences and young girls' inner lives. Water Days, by contrast, is gntler — even lighter. 'With Following a Prayer, people told me they felt deeply moved, even angry,' he says. 'But now, I just want them to smile. And maybe, next time they walk Bengaluru's streets, they notice the small things — the sounds, the silences, the people — that make a city a city.'
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Time of India
Spontaneity of Delhi Ganesh sir was the highlight for us: AR Raghavendra
'Ganesh Sir's improvisations and spontaneity turned out to be the highlight during filming. Since we shot the movie in 2023, he had also dubbed for his character in the film,' Raghavendra adds. AR Raghavendra is making his directorial debut with the fantasy thriller titled Maayakoothu , which, he says, is 'about a writer who creates an unjust world in his fiction and what he does when he comes face-to-face with a character from his story that seeks justice'. ' DELHI GANESH SIR ACTED IN OUR FILM FOR A VERY LOW SALARY' Raghavendra informs us that Nagarajan Kannan plays the writer, while Aishwarya Raghupathi plays the character who has faced injustice. Late actor Delhi Ganesh has played an important role in the film too. Speaking about the legendary artiste, the filmmaker shares, 'We were initially sceptical about asking him to act in the film because we had a limited budget. But he received us well and understood the limitations of an independent film. He acted in our film for a very low salary.' 'Ganesh Sir's improvisations and spontaneity turned out to be the highlight during filming. Since we shot the movie in 2023, he had also dubbed for his character in the film,' Raghavendra adds. We shot the film during weekends and by taking leaves: AR Raghavendra The director tells us that even though making an independent film was filled with challenges, he and his team enjoyed the process. He says, 'Many in the team, including me, had full-time jobs. It was challenging to manage work-life and filming. So, we shot the film during the weekends and by taking planned leaves. We made sure to finish the shoot in a short timespan and to not miss continuity. We learnt in the process of filming. '
