Strongly rooted to culture and tradition, film director M. Thirumurugan belongs to the old school of filmmaking a la K.S. Gopalakrishnan, a popular filmmaker of yesteryears.
Name and fame knocked on his doors after the stupendous success of mega television serial ‘Metti Oli’, smashing most TRP records. But it also came only after eight serials that he had directed for different channels.
Success of ‘Metti Oli’
The character ‘Gopi’ he played in ‘Metti Oli’ gained more popularity and has propelled him to retain the name for his role in the next television mega serial “Nadaswaram” slated to hit the small screen later this month.
At a time, when people are becoming more independent and individualistic at the risk of losing values, his attempt to portray the joy of staying together and sacrificing for family welfare, has renewed interest in the joint family system.
Making style
On the sets of ‘Nadaswaram’ in Karaikudi, Thirumurugan reels out his filmmaking pattern and talks about his struggles before he made a mark in the industry.
“Our strength lies in our value system. I consider family and relationship our strength and also weakness. To be frank, my family has been the driving force behind my success,” he asserts.
Hailing from Karaikudi, he is not unfamiliar with the Chettinad culture. Though he did a B.Sc in Zoology, his interest in films took him to the Film Institute in Chennai for a course.
“My father, Muniyandi, was a strict disciplinarian. As a medical doctor, he wanted his only son to continue the legacy, which I could not. I applied for the film course without his knowledge. Sometimes, he was quite harsh on me. But when I look back, I can feel his unconditional love, possessiveness and extreme care,” he recalls.
Strong point
Adept in screenplay, Thirumurugan relies on a heavy story line with strong characters and delineated importance. He deserves appreciation for spontaneous improvisations that add sheen to scenes he directs. Thirumurugan’s penchant for family dramastems from his own circumstances. “I derive inspiration from my family members. Ours is a big family and we too have petty quarrels. I at times include them in my scripts to lend more authenticity to the characters,” he substantiates.
Not in for exotic locations, he prefers ordinary middle class homes for televising his serials.
Eye for detail
With a keen eye for detail, right from the sofa to the television set, the wall with peeled off paint to the soot-filled kitchen, he attempts to catch the essence of a home on every occasion.
While filming ‘Nadaswaram’, he was quick to point out to the lead character to leave the footwear outside the entrance of the house.
“I just want to relate to people. You have to be true to your script. You cannot show a middle income earning person in a flashy set up, it will look artificial. You have to be extremely careful in portraying middle class society. It’s like tight-rope walking as they are more sentimental,” he explains.
Talent hunt
The effort he takes for his serials are worth mentioning. He prefers to field new faces and this time went on a massive talent hunt across the State and shortlisted 33 persons, who were trained at a workshop in Chennai with the help of film actors Nasser, M. Shanmugaraja, and film director, A. Anis.
Being the producer of the serial, he also had the liberty to take the bold decision of shifting the whole unit from Chennai to Karaikudi. “Normally, not many would venture out of Chennai for a television serial. But in my case, as the story revolved around the life of people residing in the backyard of palatial Chettinad mansions, I had to come here to lend more credibility to the script. You might have seen the huge bungalows, lying vacant for most part of the year with a lone person staying there to guard. But if you peep into the backyard, it will be bustling with life with big families squeezing themselves into small row houses. The serial is a sincere attempt to capture the essence of that life and bring to light the economic inequality,” he signs off.
BOXES:
SHORT TAKE:
Actor M. Shanmugaraja, who has worked with him: “He does not differentiate between television serials and films. His work ethics are the same for both. What is more commendable is his attempt to bridge the widening gap between the two media. He has become one of the torchbearers for television serial directors. If those who looked down upon serial directors changed their mindset, much of the credit goes to M. Thirumurugan.
FUTURE FILM PROJECTS
“Kaathu”
“Kurai Ondrum Illai”
MOVIES
“Em Mahan”
“Muniyandi Vilangiyal Moondram Aandu”
TELEVISION SERIALS
“Chinnath Thirai-k-kathaigal”
“Nallur Kaaval Nilayam”
“Akshaya”
“Panchavarnakkili”
“Sathyaa”
“Anantha Bhavan”
“Kaaveri”
“Metti Oli”
