How Vetrimaaran-Dhanush became a hit pair

They make serious, socially conscious cinema without falling into the arthouse category, and have just won their sixth National Award together

A couple of years before Yo Yo Honey Singh’s unimaginative ‘Lungi Dance’ in ‘Chennai Express’ (2013) thrilled Bollywood fans, Dhanush and director Vetrimaaran showed how it is actually done. In ‘Otha sollala’ from ‘Aadukalam’ (2011), Dhanush, shaking his lungi, dances on the busy streets of Madurai as if nobody’s watching.

Dinesh Kumar’s choreography and Dhanush’s childlike expressions leave you grinning. Among the six National Awards bagged by the film, one was for best choreography. It also served as an introduction to the now famous combination of Dhanush-Vetrimaaran.

Despite their socially conscious themes, their films don’t fall in the arthouse category. They draw large crowds, and entertain and disturb in equal measure. With six National Awards, the pair has shown that it is not just arthouse films that rule when it comes to film festivals and awards.

It was no surprise when Vetrimaaran’s ‘Asuran’ (2019) was adjudged the best Tamil film and Dhanush won his second best actor honour at the 67th National Awards announced on Monday.

Vetriamaaran’s first film was ‘Polladhavan’ (2007), with Dhanush. The routine story of a hero going in search of his lost bike was told rivetingly by Vetrimaaran, protégé of the great Balu Mahendra. Commercial cinema must-haves like romance, parental sentiment, duets, friendship and hero-villain faceoffs were accommodated in an engaging screenplay.

Rooted in nativity

The two take up themes that concern the Tamil people. If the Madurai rooster fight tradition was central to ‘Aadukalam’, ‘Vada Chennai’ (2018) was about fishermen and gang wars in north Chennai. ‘Visaranai’ (2016), produced by Dhanush, held a mirror to police brutality while ‘Asuran’ exposed the atrocities faced by Dalits.

None of the films are melodramatic or message-heavy. Vetrimaaran turns stories into gripping sagas. The combination even backed debutant M Manikandan by producing ‘Kaaka Muttai’ (2015). The heart-warming take on globalisation’s impact on big cities was powered by child actors.

Violence

Vetrimaaran does not glorify blood and gore. In ‘Visaranai’, police cruelty represents the corrupt system around us. In ‘Asuran,’ violence shows us how the oppressed resist. In ‘Vada Chennai’, the camera movements and stylish score distract us from the murders.

When the hero says ‘This is our home and we must fight for it’ in ‘Vada Chennai’ and ‘Nobody can steal education from us’ in ‘Asuran,’ you don’t stand up and whistle. Instead, you are moved.

Dhanush

In his dialogue delivery, nowhere does Dhanush give the impression that he has learnt the lines carefully. In ‘Aadukalam’, your heart aches when he reacts to his mother’s death. He goes several notches above in the climax. He gives a sterling performance when he realises he is betrayed by his mentor. In ‘Asuran’, watching him as a helpless father trying to cover his son’s brutally attacked body moves you to tears.

All-round filmmaking

Vetrimaaran’s stories are from Tamil literature while his characters are Shakespearean in their hubris. They are driven by greed, hatred, selfishness and ego. He extracts brilliant performances from supporting actors. Some of the best works of Kishore and Samuthirakani are in his films. He also shows a constant interest in unusual music scores. If G V Prakash used rap in ‘Aadukalam,’ Santhosh Narayanan adopted the Gaana genre (a style of street music) in ‘Vada Chennai’.

Great camaraderie

Dhanush, ridiculed for his frail body and non-hero-like face, believed in gaining stardom with his biggest strength: acting. Vetrimaaran found the right man to execute his complex, maverick ideas.

They trusted each other and pushed their limits with each film. Today, they are arguably one of the best combinations in Indian cinema.