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‘Server Sundaram  will score on novelty’

A self-taught filmmaker, Anand Balki believes in himself. That’s why when he wrote the script, he had no second thoughts to apporach AVM Productions (which had bankrolled the original Server Sundaram,1964 ) for the legendary actor Nagesh’s title! He’s clear that his films ought to be identified for the content they deal with. He tells CE about Server Sundaram and why it will be a milestone in Santhanam’s career.

Excerpts follow:

Tell us something about the film. Why did you choose Santhanam?
I was a catering student myself. Though we think we have become progressive, there’s still a stigma on being chefs even today. It’s hard for them to find a suitable life partner as a bride’s father doesn’t think of it as an actual job. We still call a chef ‘samayal kaaran’, but in the movie, we have insisted that it should be ‘samayal kalaignan’. I thought Santhanam was the perfect choice. Unlike other heroes, Santhanam has a team to evalute the script. To him, the commercial aspect is important and to me, the story is important. For every scene, we had to balance both. It’s not a remake of the original. Though the film has the name of the cult classic, it will be a new one. There are many things about the food service industry that has been conveyed with humour. I was warned when I opted for this title. I am aware of the risks and responsibilities. Santhanam plays the role of a catering student, who finds it tough get a suitable job after a degree in engineering. How he becomes a masterchef forms the rest of the story. The audience will get to experience a different Santhanam. He’s going to make everyone cry. Radha Ravi also has done a fantastic role.

You knew this was a challenging subject. Why did you choose to go ahead with this?
You feel passionate about certain things. Not every thing ends up being a film. For me the key element is story. You have to find that amazing story, an emotional factor, on which the entire film can depend on.

How was the shooting experience?
Santhanam and I share a wonderful bond. It was great working with him. He’s a bundle of positive energy. We shot the major scenes in Accord Metropolitan for 25 days. Chef Venkatesh Bhat is a good friend. He’s also a consultant for this film. Santhanam was given the basic cooking training for heritage food. He had to learn a Tamil dish that dates back 600 years. In a month, he had five to six sessions. I guess now he can cook better. (Laughs). It’s hard to shoot in a five-star hotel without affecting their business. The management was cooperative and we were given freedom to do whatever we wanted. We were literally everywhere — right from the stores department, housekeeping, kitchen etc. We had so much fun! The film discusses the importance of our food and grandmother’s recipes. To incorporate all this into the screenplay was a huge task. The film will score on novelty. Also, we hired an island in Goa for five days. We shot pre-interval sequences there.

You got Nagesh’s grandson on board the film…
I know Nagesh sir’s family since my childhood. After many years, I saw his grandson Bijesh, who looks exactly like Nagesh sir. He is into writing novels in English and is a published author. He was not keen on acting, but I convinced him to be a part of Server Sundaram.  He’s the spinal chord of this film. Comparisons are bound to happen, but he has done complete justice to his role. The iconic cup scene is there, which has been done by Nagesh’s xerox copy after decades. (Smiles)

You haven’t assisted anybody earlier. Isn’t that a disadvantage?
I think that’s a myth. The job of a director is to organise and compartmentalise. I have a cameraman, art director, music director, editor and others to materialise a project. A filmmaker is a combination of many technicians. Once you write the script, all you have to do is manage. But I have worked with Mani Ratnam and KS Ravikumar. I have acted in Aaytha Ezhuthu (2004) as one of Suriya’s friends. I don’t know if Mani Ratnam remembers me. But I learnt a lot during the making. In 2003, Ravikumar did Paarai. I was the second lead. Sarathkumar was the protagonist.

When are you planning to release the film?
I am working on the post-production work. We’re looking to release the film in April. Neither Santhanam nor producers aren’t in a hurry.

Who are your favourite actors?
I am a huge fan of Nagesh sir. I love Kamal Haasan too. I want to direct him in future. That’s my ambition.

What’s in the pipeline?
I have written two scripts simultaneously. I haven’t finalised the details yet. But one of them has a big star.

Source: The New Indian Express