Audiences will celebrate a film if you make it with authenticity: Madhumita

Madhumita describes herself as a genre-agnostic filmmaker, and for good reason. Her films, including the projects she is currently working on, don’t fall under a single genre. After making her debut with the relationship drama Vallamai Tharayo (2008), she went on to direct two more feature films in Tamil before making the widely acclaimed feel-good drama K.D.

(a) Karuppu Durai , in 2019. This year, she adapted K.D. for the Hindi audience as Kaalidhar Laapata , starring Abhishek Bachchan. In a chat with us, she talks about making her Hindi debut, why creators should never underestimate the audience and more…‘Abhisehk sir was professional and kept the set entertaining’Abhishek sir is both fun and respectful. We spent a lot of time discussing the nuances of his character because when you’re playing someone suffering from a disease, it’s easy to go loud. In a film like Kaalidhar Laapata , we wanted to keep it subtle and make sure that it’s not over the top.

He was professional and would always be on the set on time. He would have inputs and suggestions, but he would always go with whatever I wanted.

He also used to play a lot of pranks and keep the set entertaining.‘I’M GLAD A FILM THAT WAS LOVED IN TAMIL ALSO RESONATED WITH THE HINDISPEAKING AUDIENCE’While adapting K.D. to Hindi, it was important for me to make it feel authentic in that milieu. In Tamil, the protagonist is an 80-year-old man who has accepted the fact that he has lived his life. His emotion when he realises that his family has decided to kill him is different when compared to the 45-year-old protagonist in Kaalidhar Laapata .

Kaalidhar realises that the people for whom he sacrificed his life don’t want him anymore.

So, he thinks it’s now time to put himself first. It’s encouraging to see that a film that audiences loved in Tamil also resonated with the Hindi-speaking audience. ‘IT’S SILLY TO UNDERESTIMATE THE AUDIENCE’During the making of Kaalidhar Laapata, I was told many times that the Hindi audience is not as intelligent as the regional audience. I strongly disagree with it; it’s silly to underestimate the audience as they are putting their hard-earned money into watching your content.

With Kaalidhar Laapata now receiving appreciation, rather than me having to tell the naysayers, ‘You guys were wrong,’ the audiences are doing it for me.

If you do a film with authenticity and tell a good story, audiences will understand and celebrate it.‘CREATORS SHOULDN’T LABEL OTT AS LESS IMPORTANT THAN A THEATRICAL RELEASE’There is a wrong assumption that OTT is less important than a theatrical release. In today’s market, a film should decide what distribution channel is best for it.The action film I’m currently making is a theatrical experience, so will be released in theatres.

Meanwhile, Kaalidhar Laapata is more suited for a personal watch. It’s not grand in terms of scale by any means. So, we, creators, shouldn’t label one as less important than the other.‘I SWORE I WOULD NEVER WRITE AND DIRECT AGAIN AFTER MY EARLIER FILM’S FAILURE’When I started out, I used to get heartbroken if my film didn’t do well and overexcited if it did. But my husband told me, ‘You’re focusing on the result and not on the journey. The journey is what makes you a better filmmaker. The outcome is not in your hands.’

Every film, whether it’s a success or a failure, is personal. When my Moone Moonu Varthai (2015) didn’t do well, I was heartbroken. I swore I’d never write and direct again because that kind of failure makes you feel terrible.

Then, I wrote K.D. , and now, I’m patting myself on the back for still being in the industry and making films.We are launching Arjun Das in Hindi with an action drama that’s set in Goa’I spent a lot of time developing stuff during COVID. Finally, they are coming into fruition now. I’ve been working, but people think I’ve been on a break. My Hindi film, Daring, is in post-production. It’s a fun action drama set in Goa with many new talents. We are launching Arjun Das in Hindi with the film. My next Tamil film, a psychological thriller, will go on floors in September. Then, I’m doing a Telugu project — an action hostage drama — for an OTT platform.

I also have a Tamil romcom series on the anvil.

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