Tamil director Parthiban is busy promoting his upcoming film Iravin Nizhal these days. The movie, touted to be the world’s first non-linear single-shot movie, is an experimental project never tried before in Indian cinema and had its first look unveiled in March this year by Mani Ratnam on the official page of Madras Talkies on Twitter. Parthiban is now attending various events and talk shows where he is promoting Iravin Nizhal, slated to release on July 15.
In an exclusive interview with News18, Parthiban has spoken about various aspects of the film as well as his experiences filming it. From talking about initially thinking of naming the film Megathai Mithithavan, which translates to the one who kicked the clouds to talking about a previous incident at a song launch of the film were had received criticism for angrily throwing away a mike, he bared it all.
Talking about the support he received during filming, he said that every actor and crew member, including the little dog plays a role in the film. He also claims that although there have been other single shot movies in the past, there has been no non-linear single-shot movie filmed before Iravin Nizhal. He also added that while the unique experimentation may make the movie feel confusing at times, it all gets clear in the end. Asked about how difficult it was to make such a film, he replied by saying that it was like nurturing a growing child.
“We practiced in our office before shooting and it was ultimately filmed at a construction site. We thought it would take only 10 days but we went overboard,” he said. The pandemic and the lockdown affected filming as well apart from other disturbances and many asked him to give up the unique concept of a single shot non linear film and shoot it the traditional way. “But it was a matter of pride for me to make this film and I refused to compromise,” he said. The movie has been cleared by the censor board with an A certificate and a few words muted, he said.
He wants the government and the media to support the movie so that it gets nominated for the Oscars as he thinks Iravin Nizhal is deserving. He was also asked about an incident where he lost his cool during a song launch of the movie in May and flung the mike towards the audience when Robo Shankar asked him to pass the mike. Talking about the incident, he said he was apologetic about it and that it was accidental. He was under immense stress and mental pressure after sleepless nights.
Asked whether he would join politics, he said, “Right now I’m busy doing commercials. There is a lot to learn before entering into politics. It is unwise to go for it now so I will not.”
