Vettayadu Vilayadu began with a number of hiccups. The producers changed (after the first one tried to commit suicide), and it took a long time for shooting to begin. Your plan was to release it in September 2005. Were you worried about those unpleasant incidents, then?
I was definitely worried because it was a very important project for me. I was going to direct Kamal for the first time. It almost looked as if the project would not happen. At one point, I thought I would have to shake hands with Kamal and leave. As you know, at the last minute, things started moving smoothly again (with Seventh Channel Narayanan as the new producer). We have completed almost 80 per cent of the film.
At the launch, you said you had watched Nayakan as a child. Were you nervous about directing an actor like Kamal Haasan?
Initially, I was. It went on for a couple of days. After that, it was okay because he was pretty cool. So, I settled down into my own way of working. There was no problem after that.
What was the first shot with him?
It was shot in my office -- Kamal walking in to talk to a gangster. It went smoothly. It was easy directing him. I only had to explain to him what the shot was, what the mood was, where the camera would be, and what I wanted. You need not act out to him, you simply tell him what you want. I wanted his performance to be very subtle and underplayed because the script demands it. There is nothing loud about the character. So, Kamal had to just be himself. He often gave me much more than what the script actually needed.