"Writing is both tougher and cooler than direction"

Writer-director Suman Kumar speaks about his recent release, Raghu Thatha, how it is unfair to call it a women-centric film, how he came up with the idea for the film, and more

- PRASHANTH VALLAVAN

WITH a string of successes, writing critically and commercially acclaimed series like The Family Man, Guns and Gulaabs, and Farzi, Suman Kumar has finally forayed into direction with the recently released, Raghu Thatha, starring Keerthi Suresh in the lead. However, he doesn't see this as a step up in his career, as he eloquently puts it, "Being a writer is way cooler and tougher than being a director." He then elaborates, "Only when a writer writes, a director or an actor will have something to work on."

According to Suman, his decision to take the director's chair was an organic choice. "A film like Raghu Thatha requires the understanding of a specific tone of sarcasm, it had to be nuanced and I was not sure if it could be translated on screen.

It is not a matter of talent.

I just thought I understood the sensibilities required for the story better." Suman also reveals that he never thought of direction as a completely new endeavour. "I have been working with Raj and DK for a long time, so I had a pretty good grasp of what it means to direct. On top of that, I am currently directing episodes in The Family Man season 3," he says.

When asked why, after years of success with Hindi series, he chose to make his directorial debut in Tamil, Suman says, "Because I am a Tamilian. I always wanted my first directorial to be a Tamil film."