Suriya talks Kanguva The challenge of bringing ancient legends to the big screen

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00:00Hi, this is Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor for Gulf News Dubai.

00:08I'm here with National Award winning Indian actor Surya, who's come to Dubai to promote

00:13the warrior epic Kanguva.

00:16Perhaps you can tell me, is it the first time you're playing something like, something out

00:19of Game of Thrones?

00:20Manjusha, lovely talking to you and Gulf News listeners and viewers, thank you so much for

00:24this time.

00:27Game of Thrones and so many, so many other films we have watched and it's just a question,

00:32when are we going to be a part of that world and how can we give our audience and show

00:38them that we also belong to a similar world, like we have archaeological evidence and history

00:44which goes back like 2000 years and we have our people, ancestors who have lived that

00:49life.

00:50And when can we, in our films, showcase all those emotions and whatever happened in our

00:56part of the world and that was the attempt to go back 700, 800 years and say like, if

01:03we have the same culture, the same emotions and we have a way of worship, right, different

01:10from the other part of the world, what if these things existed and what if a conflict

01:16also arises within our people because of their faith and because for what they stand for

01:23and that is Kanguva.

01:26It happens in four to five islands and their deities will be fire, water, blood and extra.

01:34Then there is war and invasion from outside.

01:37So there is a leader who's named himself Kanguva because of fire, Kangu means fire,

01:44Kangu, from Kangu is Kanguva, Kanguvan.

01:47Okay, so you are a derivative of fire.

01:49Yeah.

01:50So all the clan also, the other members of the clan also will have their names from the

01:53God of Fire.

01:55So he is also having a battle outside, there's war out, there's also war within and that's

02:02our film.

02:03That's brilliant.

02:04It's also one of the most physically grueling movies I feel because you know, such war epics,

02:08it looks amazing on the screen but while you're making it, it must have been laborious, right,

02:12or was it?

02:13I think, you know, director Shiva, being a cinematographer and an editor, I think we didn't

02:19do unnecessary takes, we didn't do takes which, you know, had to be done again and

02:24again and again.

02:25It was really very well planned thanks to my action stunt master, Supreme Sundar, who

02:31was also a National Award winner, who's done Thalamala and Animal in Hindi and so many

02:36other films.

02:37I think we had a great team to, you know, do smart work.

02:42Another team or another director, we would have been, you know, filming for more number

02:46of days but I think, in spite of not using light in the film, like even for a day sequence

02:53and a night sequence, we didn't use lights, 3,000 people were in harmony, were in sync

02:59and I think we really enjoyed filming for Gangoa.

03:02Right.

03:03What was the process like?

03:04Because when I see you in a movie, I feel it's very effortless and I'm sure it's not.

03:08Like, it's like writing, good writing, you don't feel the effort.

03:11Isn't acting also very similar?

03:13The cost of energy which everybody should exhibit and should spread, I think, how in

03:20a married life, it is so important to love each other, respect each other and appreciate

03:27each other and you want other person to also grow and it's just not one person's thing.

03:33A director or an actor or a camera person or a stunt person or any co-actor, you all

03:41need that kind of an energy, a positive energy which you share.

03:46If you like a cameraman's work, you need to appreciate that and then his work, you know,

03:50completely is changed throughout the day.

03:52Even a stunt double or, you know, an astron director who spots something and remains an

03:58actor, you need to give that love and respect, mutual respect is so important.

04:03And maybe that's why we didn't feel tired, we felt very happy to be with each other,

04:09spend time with each other and everybody was ready to give it all.

04:14We didn't see day or night or food or water, it's just love of art, love for good cinema.

04:21I think we all worked like family, 3000 people on the set, we didn't know each other before

04:28but when we came on the set, we literally, you know, it was like family.

04:32A friend of mine said you're more like Kamal Haasan rather than Rajinikanth.

04:36That's a long way to go.

04:39Just your choice of movies and I agree with him entirely that you don't do it for that

04:42kind of stardom, I think it's more for the craft with you.

04:46Is that true?

04:47Or do you enjoy being larger than life or being more relatable?

04:50Because there's a mix, right?

04:51I think it's also the school which you belong to.

04:56I was chosen by Maniratnam sir to be an actor from Saravanan, I became Surya and with Bala

05:03Anna, he said even a blink or even for a second, if you think you are out of character

05:09in front of camera, you tell me, only you will know.

05:12If you think you are Surya and you are not Pradhaman Shakthi, tell me we will go for

05:16a take.

05:17So he wanted movies to be like mortal, he wanted to be timeless.

05:23So let's do something which will stand against time.

05:28I would want to, like Kamal sir has always given, like how did he do Sagalakalavallavan,

05:34how did he do Salangayolli in the same year?

05:37How did he do Nayagandan, how did he do Pesum Padam in the same year?

05:42And so many, so many films which, how was it possible in the same year?

05:47And why he did these films?

05:49Why he did Mahanadi?

05:51Why he did Aboorva Sabudhradakal?

05:53Those were like cinematic, you know, landmark films which made you think like, you know,

05:58how can an actor go all out and how can he keep evolving as an actor?

06:03Uru AC room la, uru chair potattu, kaal mela kaal potattu, you can have a fan also on you

06:09and you can sit and nobody is going to question.

06:11But you can also go climb Mount Everest from another peak and know you can live an adventurous

06:18life.

06:19And that also nobody is going to ask you to do it.

06:21But you want to share a different experience.

06:23You want to share a different adventure.

06:25So it is your choice how you want to live life.

06:28And maybe I, I am very far away, Kamal sir is at the peak here, he has crossed the Everest

06:33peak.

06:34But maybe I like travelling that path.

06:38This is also your attempt to put South Indian cinema on the global map because Bahubali

06:42did that.

06:43We went up till the Oscars even.

06:45Isn't this your, I think as an actor of your calibre because there is such a following

06:49for you Surya.

06:50Even in a movie people watch tickets irrespective to Amma Malayalai.

06:53I would still watch your movie, you know.

06:55So do you think this is your way of paying it forward?

06:57You have heard of potluck?

06:58Of course.

06:59Ellarme vandu, every house, we all bring our own food and you would want everybody to enjoy

07:05your food and you bring something very different to the table.

07:09Annamari, Bahubali vandu 2012 eduthu vandhanga, adhukaprama vandu KGF vandhuthu, Pushpa vandhuthu,

07:16Malayalam cinema is like, you know, pioneer and everything.

07:19We are content driven though, more than the dazzling.

07:22We are always given, you know, films are ahead of times.

07:28So in Tamil, at this given point of time, you know, what can we offer?

07:32What can we bring to the table?

07:34I think, you know, Kanguva hopefully will be something which you cherish, which you

07:40really taste and which you remember it for a long time, I think.

07:45With a lot of love, we have prepared Kanguva and hoping all will love it.

07:50Do you think reviews, what do you rate more, blockbuster success or critically friendly

07:55films?

07:56Would you prefer to have the critics in your favor or money in your bag?

08:00So it's always like this, you have 10 pockets and different different sensibilities on different

08:05walks of life.

08:06People will come, may or may not be satisfied, you know, three to five pockets, another five

08:11pockets, but I think it's important to feed those five pockets.

08:17And Kanguva is an attempt to fill seven, eight, nine, ten pockets, that's the intention.

08:25So I think it's got all the flavors, whatever is needed for a good cinema and to reach for

08:31wider audience and hoping we will reach a wider audience.

08:34And art should provoke at the end of the day, if you get polarizing opinions, I think it's

08:38also a mark of a good movie, at least it's a good dialogue.

08:41You can't put one sensibility down and one sensibility up.

08:44We want to give equality to everyone, be it a critical film or a blockbuster film.

08:49I think you need to find that fine balance.

08:52Thank you so much for your time and thank you for entertaining us over the years.

08:55Thank you so much for the time.

08:57Take care.

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