Yes! Anbil Avan is a love story, and it’s a theatrical experience where you fall in love with the characters and everything they go through. The twists and turns make it thoroughly entertaining, but at its crux, the film is also about dreams. I’ve always believed in dreams and that people should go after them. Anbil Avan is about a couple who are caught in the nine-to-six routine. Somewhere along the way, they remember their last dream and decide to pursue it. I found that incredibly inspiring, and I felt it would resonate with anyone who’s working. Most people work primarily for economic reasons —to survive and keep things going. We often put our own dreams on the back burner because there’s an EMI to pay, a house to run and a family to look after. That’s why I feel the story will really connect with audiences. It also has a huge action component, which I’m particularly excited about because action is one genre I haven’t explored much so far.

It’s a lot of pressure, both in terms of delivering the film and managing people. The entire production process can be demanding in so many ways. But as much as it is pressurising, it also gives you a certain degree of creative freedom and control because you know where to spend your money and, more importantly, where not to. Both are important. Sometimes you hear that a film has a certain budget, but you don’t necessarily see that money on screen. Then you realise that a significant chunk has gone into below-the-line costs—paying the cast, technicians and so on. You look at the frame, and it can still feel quite plain, and you wonder, ‘Where did all that `100 crore go?’ As a producer, those are decisions you can make. You can put your foot down and say, ‘No, I want to spend my money on the experience I’m going to give the audience.’ For me, that creative control is one of the biggest advantages of being a producer.

Oh, definitely! You want to be visible, you want to be working and you want to keep doing all those things. There’s so much content coming out every day now, not just every Friday. With OTT, YouTube and so many new artistes coming in, you start wondering, ‘It’s been so long since I’ve seen something of mine. Will they remember me? Will they forget me? Am I still relevant?’ Those questions are always there. Artistes are the most insecure people because we’re constantly thinking along these lines. But I think I’m at a point in my life where I’m saying, ‘It’s okay. Let me put out great content. And if that takes time, I’m willing to give it the time it deserves.’

It’s constantly changing. Ten years ago, all I wanted was a hit film—something that would put me on the map. But now, I want to build a legacy and create an impact. I feel people have given me a certain responsibility. I don’t necessarily have to think that way, but I do, and I want to live up to it. Just having a hit film doesn’t excite me anymore. I want to do more. I want to make films that leave a mark, that stay with people and are remembered long after they’ve left the theatre. That’s what success means to me now.

Earlier, I was always chasing the next hit film. Now, I think I’ve become more fearless. I’m at a point where I’m thinking, ‘What if we could make other industries sit up and take notice of a film from Tamil cinema?’ I want to scale up, go bigger and think beyond having a successful film. I want to see how far we can take it.

Every day, you’re hearing stories and deciding whether you want to be part of them. Either way, the outcome affects you. If you do the film, whatever happens to it affects you. If you turn it down and it becomes a hit, you end up thinking, ‘I should have done it.’ So, you’re constantly questioning yourself. But right now, I feel it’s okay if a film I pass on becomes a hit. I think it’s just the way life is designed. If something isn’t meant for me, then it isn’t meant for me.

At the same time, producing gives me the creative control to make those calls. I can decide where I want to spend the money—whether it’s on a particular action sequence because I think it’s exciting or somewhere else where it will add more value. You also have control over how you position the film, which is great. There have been films where I loved the story, but the execution didn’t work. With Anbil Avan, I didn’t want to take that risk because I believe in the story and I wanted to be behind the wheel.

That's how life is. The last two years have been a bit of a rough ride. Now I feel like I can take whatever comes my way.

A lot of time had passed since some of those things happened, and I never really understood why certain things were the way they were. But after the diagnosis, it all started to make sense. It explained why I struggled to study or get the marks I was capable of. People would always tell me, ‘You didn’t study.’ But the truth was, I could study for a few minutes; I just couldn’t focus for much longer. Yet, in those few minutes, I could hyper-focus.

There were so many things that didn’t make sense to me at the time. After Keerthi (Pandian, his wife) came into my life and I got the diagnosis, things became better because I stopped feeling as guilty as I used to. You begin to understand, ‘Okay, this is how it is. This is how things come to me, and this is how I process them.’

For instance, I find it difficult to tie my shoelaces. Earlier, something like that would make me feel terrible about myself. I would wonder, ‘Why can’t I even do something this simple?’ and then blame myself for it. Once you understand what’s going on, you become kinder to yourself. I think that’s the biggest change. You stop fighting yourself and start understanding yourself a little better.

That I talk so much! My younger self was carefree and always on the move. I never overanalysed things or stopped to think about what had happened or why. I’d just wake up the next day and move on. There was no pause button—I was spontaneous, always running around, taking action, getting hurt and getting back up. Now, I’m much calmer and more reflective. So, if my younger self saw me today, he’d probably look at me and say, ‘You’re overacting!’

That’s the one thing I’m really proud of, to be honest. When I look back, I think, ‘Nobody handed me anything.’ I didn’t have anyone to fall back on or anyone who could say, ‘I helped you get here.’ I had to find my own way, and I’m proud of that. The fact that I’m still making films and hopefully creating an impact makes it even more meaningful. I’m genuinely proud of how far I’ve come.

I’m a huge cinema lover, so I’d be happy to explore other departments as well. I have a feeling I’d make a decent director. More than the end result, it’s the idea of creating something that excites me. If you focus too much on the outcome, it can become pressurising.

The producer! I get really excited by ideas and want to act on them immediately. I don’t really have a sense of money — if an idea excites me, I’m all in. So, I can be a little difficult to manage because I tend to get carried away. Luckily, I have my sister, who is much more level-headed and keeps me grounded. She’ll say, ‘You sit there. Let me work this out, and then you can jump in.’ Meanwhile, I’m usually going, ‘Let’s go all in! Let’s do this, let’s do that!’ And she’ll remind me, ‘No, it’s going beyond your means.’ I’ll just say, ‘I don’t care, I want to do it!’ So, yes, I’m probably quite difficult to manage as a producer!

I haven’t learnt music, so I can’t really talk about it from a technical standpoint, but I love listening to all kinds of music. I’m even setting up a dedicated music room in my new house. I’ve just moved in, and I’m waiting for the speakers to arrive. There’s a vinyl player, and I’m adding some nice speakers, amps and acoustic treatment, along with a table and some mood lighting. I think it should be ready in about three weeks. It’s going to be my own little space to just switch off and enjoy music.

It’s the ability to put her first in every decision he makes. I think that’s a quality I’d like to have. Sometimes, I think about myself first and then her. But Surya isn’t like that. He’s like an idealistic movie character — he’s always thinking about the girl and putting her first. I’m like that to a certain extent, but I think I could be better at it.

When I’m working on a film, I’m completely consumed by it. Sometimes my friends get annoyed and say, ‘There you go again, you’ve disappeared into your work.’ It’s difficult to explain because I’m producing, acting, writing and juggling so many things at once. When I’m that invested, it becomes hard to make time for fun or switch off and do other things. So, yes, my friends do complain about it sometimes.

Heart.

I don’t really share what happens between Keerthi and me at home. There are certain things that only we understand about each other, and I believe some parts of a marriage are best kept private. You shouldn’t let a third person into that space.