'There is always something new to learn in filmmaking'

Filmmaker Selvaraghavan discusses his latest directorial effort, Naane Varuvean, and why he believes filmmaking is a craft that perennially keeps teaching something new

- RAM VENKAT SRIKAR

Selvaraghavan is notoriously reticent, making the filmmaker's psyche a tough one to peek into. There is a general seriousness that pervades the room in his presence, although he seems calm and composed. Three days after his latest, Naane Varuvean hit the marquee, as I sat across from him in his house, I cautiously avoided indulging in casual exchange to ensure I could get as much as possible on the record. I kickstart the interview with a question about a rather expansive topic. In the 20th year of his filmmaking, has he made peace with the fact that each of his films are judged by lakhs of people in a few hours. "That's how it is," he replies. Does he find the nature of his work stressful though? "Definitely. It is highly stressful, but again, that's a part of the job." He reveals that he hasn't seen the film with the audience yet and plans to catch it soon. The filmmaker, in fact, adds he finds the D-day scarier now than 20 years ago when Thulluvadho Ilamai got released. "As we accumulate experiences, we grow mentally strong. It is a human thing, and it doesn't apply only to filmmaking. I was naturally nervous when Thulluvadho Ilamai was released. It was to decide whether I would sustain as a filmmaker or end up roaming on the streets," he says, as though he were talking about something trivial. "I found myself being even more nervous about Naane Varuvean."