Wednesday Feb 27 2008, Chennai

"Berlin award boosted my confidence" - Amir

Mounam Pesiyadhae, Ram and Paruthiveeran are the three films directed by Amir in the last five years. Each of them is different from the other and the depth in thinking and the effort to present things differently is very tangible in all these films.Ram got an award at the Cyprus Film Festival, and Paruthiveeran didn’t lag behind.It has bagged the prestigious Jury’s award at the just concluded Berlin International Film Festival. Following is the extract from an interview with proud-looking Amir, who has just returned from Berlin, literally with hands full!Ram won the Cyprus award; now Paruthiveeran has got the Berlin award.

How do you feel?

I’m feeling extremely happy and satisfied. Ram got the award for the performance of its lead actors and also for its music. Paruthiveeran won the best film award. The Berlin award was really special as my film has won the ‘best film’ award at the second largest film festival, of the world as Berlin film festival is considered second only to the Cannes film festival.

Were you confident of the award while applying?

I believed that I had successfully spelt out what I set out to say in my film. All I hoped was that my hard work and sincerity would pay off and I was glad that it did.Any interesting experiences at the Festival you encountered...As a rule, films taking part in Berlin Film Festival shouldn’t have been shown in any festival in any part of the globe.

3000 films were screened there. There are four categories of films in which we can take part in any number of categories i.e.for acting, film, music, etc. Jeeva and Yuvan Shankar Raja won the Cyprus award for acting and music respectively.
In Berlin, Paruthiveeran was the only film from Asia among the 36 films that vied for honors under the ‘Forum’ category. It’s indeed an honor for Tamil Nadu that a Tamil film won the award from this category.

What was the criterion to select the film?

Films are first seen by the Jury members, then by the journalists and finally by the general public. Many queries were raised during the screening of Paruthiveeran. The German print media appreciated my film very much and, therefore, all the four shows of the film ran with packed houses.

Paruthiveeran won the award for the way the story was narrated with its sense of nativity not getting lost and for of proper use of technology to make a good film. When the Germans too wept during the climax, I could experience the reality that world over, the feeling of humans are the same.

Which success you treasure the most: commercial success or critical acclaim?

Commercial success can’t be achieved if the director will not narrate the story properly. If you are sincere in what ever you do, awards and appreciation are bound to follow. I have been saying this repeatedly that there are no such classifications as commercially successful films and films that are meant to win awards.

How is your experience as an actor in Yogi, where are donning the hero’s cap?

Almost half the shooting of Yogi is complete. This film would document the lives of people residing in slums. I play the role of the son of a beggar, full of romance, action and sentiments. I also write the story, screenplay and the dialogues of Yogi. Since no other hero came forward to do this role, I ‘m doing it myslef.

Madhumita plays my love interest in the film for which Yuva Shanakar Raja scores the music.I have a great passion for movies. This is my only profession and I want to excel in this. I also want to tread hitherto unknown path in my screenplay. I have no major ideas of ‘reforming’ cinema in a big way.

I am a firm believer in God and feels strongly that whatever success, failure, struggle, journey, etc.one faces in life is given by God.