The Big Leap

SURESH TRIVENI tells RAGHUVENDRA SINGH why Tumhari Sulu is a small film with a big heart

- Raghuvendra Singh

Tumhari Sulu may be adman Suresh Triveni’s directorial debut. But his connection with his leading lady, Vidya Balan goes back several years. A connect that began even before he became an ad-filmmaker. “I’ve followed Vidya’s work even before Parineeta. I used to work for a shampoo brand in Chennai in 2001. Every time they would call for the audition tapes from Mumbai, one girl amidst everyone, would be prominent, Vidya Balan!” he recalls adding, “I’d say one day this girl will become huge!”

In 2004, Suresh, who always wanted to make films, came to Mumbai when the producers of Bollywood Bosses asked him to join them as an associate director for the BBC TV show. “We were doing profiles of prominent filmmakers and one amongst them was Vidhu Vinod Chopra. I was to shoot people talking about Vinodji. And guess who I happened to shoot with? Vidya Balan!” he smiles. He even remembers telling her then, “One day, I will come to you with a script!”