Actor Vishal’s latest release Detective has got not just critical acclaim but is enjoying box office success too. “If the content is new and good, the film will be a success. I am happy that the audience accepted Detective. It encourages others too, to try new genres,” says Vishal.
Elaborating on the film, the actor shares, “Director Mysskin told me that he wanted to do a Sherlock Holmes kind of film. I had only heard of this genre, but this is the first attempt. I thought I would miss a good opportunity if I didn’t do this film and immediately said ‘yes’.” He adds, “It was a completely new experience for me because there are no songs and I have a new look.”
What kind of homework did he do? “Nothing. I blindly followed director Mysskin. He showed me how to behave, talk and perform the action sequences,” he says.
Interestingly, Vishal produced the film himself because he didn’t want to take a risk. “I produced the film so that the decision-making could be mine,” he shares, adding, “I disagreed with some people who wanted to add a special song. When the story is gripping, there is no need for songs.”
Vishal opines, “The younger generation of filmmakers want only story-driven films and will slowly reduce the use of songs in films. The success of Detective shows that you can try something different.” The actor also confirms that he is going to make a sequel to the film which will release next year.
Vishal has been in the news since taking charge as the Tamil Film Producer Council Chairman. Talking about some of the challenges filmmakers face, he says, “Piracy is a big problem and the other is financial. Filmmakers have to pay huge interest on their loans even before a film is completed.”
He adds, “Online ticketing is also not 100 per cent. The producer is suffering a lot, that’s why I stepped in with a young team to clean up.”
Meanwhile, the actor is also in talks with all the other South Indian film industries with regards to the GST on films. “We will give a common representation to the government and will be grateful if they reduce tax for the film industry too,” he says.
So, will the industry support Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, who are setting foot into politics? “Anyone can come into politics, so far as they do good to the people,” says Vishal, who adds, “A person should choose politics to serve the people. I earn more than an MLA or a Minister if I do one film. I don’t need power to serve people, as I am already doing it. If politicians fulfill their promises, why should we join politics?”
Vishal’s future plans include a sequel for Pandem Kodi. “After 12 years, director Linguswamy and I came together for this sequel, which will be more dominant than the first one,” he says. His film Abhimanyudu is also slated for a Sankranti release. Interestingly, all these films are produced by Vishal himself. “I have had bad experiences with some producers, and so, I decided to do them on my own,” he states.
So, how does he manage his time? “I don’t plan anything. I take it as it comes,” he says candidly.
As for his marriage, the actor says, “I need to first complete a building for the Nadigar Sangam. It will be launched next December and my marriage will also take place at that time.”
