Gautham Vasudev Menon: ‘I hope to make 3 more Dominic films with Mammootty’

It’s not often that you hear a veteran filmmaker like Gautham Vasudev Menon, who has helmed about 20 films including blockbusters such as Kaakha Kaakha and Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu and has been in the industry for over two decades, say it is a dream come true. The reason is that it’s almost homecoming for the filmmaker with his first Malayalam directorial, Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse, which has Mammootty in the lead – especially with the latter still being at the peak of acting prowess.

In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, Gautham talks about how the film, which is set to release on January 23 in theatres, materialized, what went into creating the character of Dominic, and his plans to take it forward.

There has always been a lot of excitement for your films in Kerala, a small reason being that you are a Malayali. With this film, the audience in Kerala finally gets to see you direct a Malayalam film. How did it happen?

It’s a dream come true. I have been trying for a very long time and somehow, finally managed to pull this off. So, I heard this story from the writers – Dr Neeraj and Dr Sooraj. I met them through Manju Warrier. It was initially for another film that I was supposed to do with her but that didn’t take off. But I kept in touch with Dr Neeraj, and he pitched the idea of Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse to me. I thought there was something in this character. They had pitched it to a few other actors in Malayalam; I was also there in these discussions, but somehow, I felt it would work with Mammukka. But the writers weren’t sure if sir would pick such a film.

I acted with him in Bazooka. I was just a supporting actor, and I didn’t think it was right to discuss this film with him on the sets. I didn’t want him to think that I’d done that film only to get a chance to talk to him. Once the movie was done, I texted George, his confidante, who set up a meeting to narrate it to him. Sir liked it and he said I will let you know. The very next day, he called back and said, ‘Mammootty Kampany will produce this, you direct and we will take it forward’.

Mammootty is more open to experimenting with characters and genres at this point in his career than even a lot of the younger actors…

Which is why I was sure that he would like this. I have been an ardent follower of his work and watched almost all his films from way back to Bramayugam, Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, Kaathal: The Core and Kannur Squad. I love films like Kannur Squad, which I can shoot with my eyes closed; not that it’s an easy film to make. So, I had my heart set on that. But Dominic and Ladies’ Purse, which is character-driven film, is very different from that because it’s a very real, simple take. This guy can be your neighbour.

Interestingly, when we went in for the meeting, I told the writer, ‘Let’s not tell him the idea but make him listen to the whole thing’. But when sir pushed to tell him the idea or genre, I told him that it was an investigation, and straightaway he said, ‘I have done too many investigation films, Gautham. If there’s anything else, you let me know’. So, the meeting was over in 10 minutes.

And then I told him, ‘We have come all the way from Chennai and the writer is also here. So, hear us out and if you still don’t like it, I will pitch something else for you’. Half an hour into the narration, he also liked it and he felt it was a bit different from the other sort of films he has been doing, in a very simple sort of way; which is also why there is a line in the film that says, ‘It’s too simple a case for me to take on’.

I completely enjoyed the process of working with someone legendary like him. We knew what we were doing but I was on my toes all the time, making sure to answer any questions he had or to discuss whatever take he had on a particular shot. If we had to go for another shot, I had to be really ready with the theory of what I was doing. I was on the ball completely and it was a great process for me. Frankly, after a long time, I enjoyed being on the sets of a film.

Also, Malayalam shoots like crazy. We completed this film in a 45-day stretch. All the actors and locations were locked in and if not for a two-day rain break, we would have completed it sooner. Since then, Mammukka has also finished shooting for two films.

From a director’s perspective, do you feel less stressed when you are aware that the audience is receptive to all kinds of films – which has been the case in Malayalam in the past few years? This is especially, for a Mammootty movie these days, where the audience doesn’t come with any preconceived notions, except probably to be surprised by the content.

I am also hoping that’s how they come to Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse too, because expectations are what worries me a lot. I don’t mean to sound disrespectful to the commercial films that are being made. I am not against them. But somehow I have never towed that hardcore, massy commercial trope; I have made Kaakha Kaakha and Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, but it’s still within that zone and not over the top as such.

With this film too, it’s a very real take on a character that you would see around you. If he is asked to investigate something, how would he do it? It’s a series of conversations; he walks around, talking to people, finding out what happened, there’s a diversion and then he gets back on track. It’s compelling and has a slightly hard-hitting finale to the whole process.

My whole concept, from the time I heard this story, was that this character could go on to be in so many other films that we could make. I don’t want to call it sequels but it’s a character that could be in many other stories of investigation. When I suggested this to sir, he just laughed it off. He said, ‘Let’s see how this film works’. I am really hoping this works and I can make three to four other Dominic movies.

There’s this whole sequel culture that is plaguing the industry. As you had mentioned you have made films like Kaakha Kaakha and Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu that still have a huge following and could be potential money spinners even if you announce sequels for them. But you have stayed away from that for so long. So, it’s surprising that you would think of it in the case of Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse.

I have stayed away from it, yes. But I have written something that would take the character forward, not the story. I go into the personal space of the characters. Even in case of Raghavan (Kamal Haasan’s character) in Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, there was a personal angle to it; it was not just the investigation and the external aspects that are happening. I got into his mind, the audience saw his family, where he came from. Raghavan is somebody, whose wife had died and he falls in love with Aradhana (Jyothika), who also has a personal life. It’s not necessary that a police investigation thriller has to tow that line.

Like in Oru CBI Diary Kurippu, which is the first film in the franchise, you hear a conversation between him (Mammootty’s Sethurama Iyer and his son) where he asks him to do his homework and daddy will bring him ice cream and chocolates. But that’s all you hear. You don’t know the dynamics between him and his wife or his son. Part 4 or 5 would have explored more about his family.

But I like getting into that personal space and the stories of these characters. This is also why I like Dominic also and I worked a lot more once I heard the story. I have a sequel ready, to answer your question. But I feel there’s a time for that.

In every film you have directed, you have brought in a fresh perspective – be it through investigative thrillers like Kaakha Kaakha, romcoms like Vinnaithaani Varuvaayaa or coming-of-age dramas like Varanam Aayiram. In that sense, what is that GVM signature we can expect from Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse?

See, whatever it is, it is a story on paper, and you need to bring it to life. You hear the story, you read the material, then you get into discussions, work the scenes out, you add a lot more lines, figure out the characters and their characteristics on screen. I have done all that. It’s not that I have just heard the story and said, ‘Let’s go and direct it’.

After we narrated the idea to Mammukka, we worked on a screenplay extensively. I wrote it back in Tamil again fully, and it was returned to the writer to convert the dialogues into Malayalam. And there were also discussions on the sets. The release is just a few days away, but till the night before the censoring, there was discussion on the final edit and length of the film. I think I really brought life to the character – from the clothes he wears and the kind of look he should have to the space he stays in and the people he talks to on a daily basis. He is a bum, a loser but he’s also street-smart and intelligent. He is a no-holds-barred guy who doesn’t give a damn what people think but there’s only a little bit of emotional angle to him. He likes dogs.

So, there’s a lot of things that I brought in and Mammootty sir really gave Dominic life. There was this conversation between the writers and Mammootty sir before the first day of shoot, where the writer asked him, ‘How do you think you are going to play the character?’ I wouldn’t have asked him that question, but the writer jumped in and did. Mammootty sir wasn’t offended, but he just said, ‘I don’t know’… which I thought was lovely. He said, ‘I have read the story, I know what the scenes are, but I will wait to see what is set up for me tomorrow. I will see what the mood is created for me by the director and everyone around, and then I will jump into it. Whatever comes to me at the moment, I will take it forward’.

That was a huge lesson to me, also as someone who acts in a few films. There is no need to prepare as much, especially when you know your lines. You just need to go with the flow. And Mammukka did that so brilliantly. The first shot he walked in, he sat at the table and he just looked at this guy; without any dialogue, he conveyed a lot. It was a pleasure working with someone like that. We all came alive.

It’s also your debut in a way as it’s your first Malayalam film. How does that feel?

I am proudly flaunting it as my debut film. Of course, I have done films in Telugu and Hindi as well, but somehow this feels very special. I honestly look at every film as my first. I am not trying to sound humble or modest here, but there’s always a certain fear, apprehension and a lot of study that goes into it. It’s a never a confident, no-hold-barred approach to directing on sets. This was lovely because it had Mammootty sir at the helm and directing him was special.