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Rajiv Menon highlights disorganization in Tamil Cinema. People think Vetrimaaran was attacked!

PUBLISHED DATE : 06/Jan/2025

Rajiv Menon highlights disorganization in Tamil Cinema. People think Vetrimaaran was attacked!

The multi-faceted Rajiv Menon is known for directing classics like Minsara Kanavu (1997), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), and the new age Sarvam Thaala Mayam (2019), the Reunion part of the anthology Putham Pudhu Kaalai (2020). 

 

Rajiv Menon is also best known for wielding the camera on Mani Ratnam movies like Bombay (1995), Guru (2007), and Kadal (2013). In recent years, Rajiv Menon has been seen more on screen as an actor, with his last two ventures being Viduthalai: Part 1 (2023), and Viduthalai: Part 2 (2024). 

The Viduthalai series of movies is written and directed by Vetrimaaran, and Rajiv Menon plays A. Subramaniyan, Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu in these films. In an interview with a Tamil channel, Rajiv Menon highlighted the disorganization with which directors operate in Tamil Cinema, and this has lead viewers to believe that Vetrimaaran was "attacked" in the conversation. 

 

"The (Tamil film) industry has gone into this unplanned state. (The mindset is) we can keep shooting, we can shoot whenever we want. And since the digital boom, can take whatever we want. If there is nothing else going on, then one has to submit to the project like it is their last chance. 

 

(Currently) it is not possible for anyone (from the Tamil film industry) to work like Western Cinema (organization wise)..The directors keep saying 'everyone should travel with us'. What travel? (This is) Shooting boss. Are we your slaves? (to be at your beck and call). That is sort of a feudal attitude you know? "I'll shoot when I get the idea", this is not possible for cinema because cinema involves 100-200 people.

 

Someone else's meter is running. So if there is no planning in accordance, then we can't do (match the level of filmmaking from the West). We can be much better (in organization) because a film like Jurassic Park (1993 Steven Spielberg classic which revolutionized animatronics, sound design, and surround sound in cinema), was planned in 78 days and was completed in 72 days. 

 

So I think there is something seriously wrong with the way we are planning, and with the way we are designing (film) shooting. And the only person who is really suffering in this is the producer. Tamil cinema is really struggling because they don't have enough producers. Because when a director starts a film he has an eye on massive success for himself, lots and lots of equipment for the cameraman, and in the want of grandeur uses a 100 junior artistes in all shots. An assistant (director) can control about 20 junor artistes and that makes the assistants alone come up to 5 people on sets." 

 

Some Tamil twitter reactionary posts to Rajiv Menon's statement: 

 

 

Both Viduthalai Part 1 and Viduthalai Part 2 are joint production ventures of RS Infortainmant and Vetrimaaran's own production banner, Grass Root Film Company. 

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