Face 2 Face

AR Murugadoss walks down memory lane with Baradwaj Rangan where he talks about picking heroes for his stories: Dheena (Ajith Kumar), Ramana (Vijayakanth), Ghajini (Suriya & Aamir Khan), Stalin (Chiranjeevi), Suriya (7aum Arivu, Thuppakki and Kaththi (Vijay), Spyder (Mahesh Babu). He talks about how Mohanlal doesn't worry about camera angles, & why it's easy to write a story with Rajinikanth in mind. The filmmaker also tells us whether he will work with smaller heroes, whether our big stars will do different roles, and whether his next film with Vijay can be truly different.

AR Murugadoss walks down memory lane with Baradwaj Rangan where he talks about picking heroes for his stories: Dheena (Ajith Kumar), Ramana (Vijayakanth), Ghajini (Suriya & Aamir Khan), Stalin (Chiranjeevi), Suriya (7aum Arivu, Thuppakki and Kaththi (Vijay), Spyder (Mahesh Babu). He talks about how Mohanlal doesn't worry about camera angles, & why it's easy to write a story with Rajinikanth in mind. The filmmaker also tells us whether he will work with smaller heroes, whether our big stars will do different roles, and whether his next film with Vijay can be truly different.

Anjali Menon -- director of Koode, Bangalore Days and Manjadikkuru, and writer of Ustad Hotel -- talks about what Bangalore means to Malayalis, and explains the new-gen phase of Malayalam cinema. (She singles out Ranjith's Kaiyoppu and Sameer Thahir's Chaappa Kurishu.) She talks about Padmarajan, Bharathan, Fasil, MT Vasudevan Nair, KG George, about the improved technique in Malayalam cinema. She discusses being a "woman filmmaker" and the Women in Cinema Collective. She talks about how she directs actors like Fahadh Faasil and Dulquer Salmaan, and her sensibility (she's also a dancer, and she says it helps her work in cinema). She talks about collaborating with technicians, making rooted cinema and being an outsider, and, lastly, about Mammooty and Mohanlal.

Anjali Menon -- director of Koode, Bangalore Days and Manjadikkuru, and writer of Ustad Hotel -- talks about what Bangalore means to Malayalis, and explains the new-gen phase of Malayalam cinema. (She singles out Ranjith's Kaiyoppu and Sameer Thahir's Chaappa Kurishu.) She talks about Padmarajan, Bharathan, Fasil, MT Vasudevan Nair, KG George, about the improved technique in Malayalam cinema. She discusses being a "woman filmmaker" and the Women in Cinema Collective. She talks about how she directs actors like Fahadh Faasil and Dulquer Salmaan, and her sensibility (she's also a dancer, and she says it helps her work in cinema). She talks about collaborating with technicians, making rooted cinema and being an outsider, and, lastly, about Mammooty and Mohanlal.

Karan Johar talks to Baradwaj Rangan about how Aditya Chopra introduced him to the cinema of Mani Ratnam. He talks about how different things would have been had he presented SS Rajamouli’s Ega in the North.
Talking about 2.0, he says it’s going to have one of the biggest openings of Indian cinema and why it was a no-brainer to choose to distribute the film.
Calling Bahubali a ‘beautiful and creative slap on our faces’ he explains why South Indian films have always been the pioneers of new technology.

Karan Johar talks to Baradwaj Rangan about how Aditya Chopra introduced him to the cinema of Mani Ratnam. He talks about how different things would have been had he presented SS Rajamouli’s Ega in the North.

Talking about 2.0, he says it’s going to have one of the biggest openings of Indian cinema and why it was a no-brainer to choose to distribute the film.

Calling Bahubali a ‘beautiful and creative slap on our faces’ he explains why South Indian films have always been the pioneers of new technology.

Manikandan talks about his next film, Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer), and why Rajinikanth would be great for the lead role. He talks about how he uses realism as a tool, and how a director needs time to confirm his talents. He says you shouldn’t make issues too strong, and you shouldn’t have only entertainment, without any message. He says not everyone will get the layers in a movie. He says a director can create engagement value through image, sound, a melody. In a visual medium, he says you have to think of images rather than dialogue. He says he won’t allow anyone to affect the core story, not even the producer. He says a lot of films don’t need background music, and talks about the Indian tradition of using music right when the emotion begins, not just to underline it. He talks about lensing and colour palettes. He analyses why he is considered uncompromising. He talks about keeping a hero’s image in mind, about the use of film festivals. He says doors open more easily for commercial filmmakers.

Manikandan talks about his next film, Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer), and why Rajinikanth would be great for the lead role. He talks about how he uses realism as a tool, and how a director needs time to confirm his talents. He says you shouldn’t make issues too strong, and you shouldn’t have only entertainment, without any message. He says not everyone will get the layers in a movie. He says a director can create engagement value through image, sound, a melody. In a visual medium, he says you have to think of images rather than dialogue. He says he won’t allow anyone to affect the core story, not even the producer. He says a lot of films don’t need background music, and talks about the Indian tradition of using music right when the emotion begins, not just to underline it. He talks about lensing and colour palettes. He analyses why he is considered uncompromising. He talks about keeping a hero’s image in mind, about the use of film festivals. He says doors open more easily for commercial filmmakers.

R Madhavan, star of the Amazon Prime original Breathe, talks about his 20-year-old career (his first major role, in the Kannada film Shanti Shanti Shanti, was in 1998). He laughs about being too "mature" for romantic roles, and discusses opting for quality over quantity, and his biggest reality check. He speaks about upcoming projects like Chanda Mama Door Ke, a sci-fi film about an Indian astronaut landing on the moon, and Savyasachi, his Telugu film with Naga Chaitanya. He talks about whether a Rajinikanth or a Shah Rukh Khan is possible anymore, and about the differences between Bollywood and the Tamil film industry -- including Dhanush's role in Raanjhanaa. He speaks on Pushkar-Gayatri's Vikram Vedha, and about his experiences of working with Mani Ratnam, Anand L Rai, Rituparno Ghosh, Kamal Haasan and Rajkumar Hirani.

R Madhavan, star of the Amazon Prime original Breathe, talks about his 20-year-old career (his first major role, in the Kannada film Shanti Shanti Shanti, was in 1998). He laughs about being too "mature" for romantic roles, and discusses opting for quality over quantity, and his biggest reality check. He speaks about upcoming projects like Chanda Mama Door Ke, a sci-fi film about an Indian astronaut landing on the moon, and Savyasachi, his Telugu film with Naga Chaitanya. He talks about whether a Rajinikanth or a Shah Rukh Khan is possible anymore, and about the differences between Bollywood and the Tamil film industry -- including Dhanush's role in Raanjhanaa. He speaks on Pushkar-Gayatri's Vikram Vedha, and about his experiences of working with Mani Ratnam, Anand L Rai, Rituparno Ghosh, Kamal Haasan and Rajkumar Hirani.