Minnale Is The One Film I’ve Never Revisited: Gautham Vasudev Menon

After being in the industry for over twenty years, director Gautam Vasudev Menon is still going strong. The filmmaker has made some of Tamil cinema’s most iconic films in the 2000s such as Minnale, Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya, and Vaaranam Aayiram. He has worked with stars such as Madhavan, Kamal Haasan, Suriya, Simbu, Ajith, and more, and has worked with some of the best music composers and technicians.

The filmmaker has developed an image of sorts that fans of his have come to idolize. Be it the way he films his songs or the urban settings of many of his protagonists, a certain auteurial stamp is present in his films. Despite exploring various genres, there is always a touch of GVM that cannot be removed from them.

When asked why he chose to make a film like Nadunisi Naayagal, an experimental film that did not employ music or a score and relied on sound design, he mentioned that he became conscious about his style and image only when the film was criticized. “I didn’t think twice about it at all. Though we had a limited release, we thought it might just breakthrough. On the contrary, there were a lot of adverse reactions to it. Many people asked me why I did this after Vinnaithandi Varuvaya. This is when I realized that there is a certain image and baggage that you carry as a filmmaker which you carry to your next film.”

Many of his films are still celebrated among the masses, though. As a new re-release wave takes over theaters, GVM’s iconic films such as Vaaranam Aayiram and Vinnaithandi Varuvaya have been screened in packed halls with many videos on social media showing crowds vibing to certain songs and capturing iconic moments in the film going viral. He says that he feels the happiest when fans choose his films like Vaaranam Aayiram and Vinnaithandi Varuvaya as their favorite films in his filmography, though he reportedly cringes when they choose his debut Minnale. “It bothers me a lot. It's the one film I’ve never revisited,” he says, also pointing out how people do not mention Kaakha Kaakha a lot despite the fans appreciating Suriya for it.

“Many people from the team send me these videos,” he says, “I don’t know why people react that way to ‘Ava Enna’ [from Vaaranam Aayiram]. When we composed, recorded, and filmed it, it was not like I knew this would work or that I knew we were creating magic. Everyone puts in effort for a film and makes a work of art to put it out there. I don’t wait for responses and numbers from the film but somewhere along the airwaves, you know that something has worked with the audience.”

Much of the magic of his films also seems to be hidden in their amazing soundtracks. Menon has worked with stalwart music directors such as AR Rahman and Ilaiyaraja, while he also has introduced some musicians in his films. His regular collaborator Harris Jayaraj debuted with Minnale and went on to work with him on several films, including his unreleased Dhruva Nathchathiram. The soundtrack of Minnale was a resounding hit upon release, with the Bombay Jayshree-sung ‘Vaseegara’ making waves all around. It was one of the few songs that were retained in the Hindi remake of the film Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mei.

“We were going through a dichotomy with that song,” says Menon as he reminisces about the first time he heard the song in Harris Jayaraj’s studio, “It was a song picturized on Reema Sen with Bombay Jayashree’s voice. The tune really struck a chord with me. While Jayashree was recording, I remember thinking that this would not work on screen because I would be filming Reema Sen for this. Eventually, I could not shoot it the way I wanted and I had to bring in dancers, which was not part of the original plan. It was a disaster. But, I remember while recording I knew I wanted to put this song out even if it didn’t work on screen.”