In conversation with Priya V - Director of 'Kanda Naal Mudhal'

‘Kanda Naal Mudhal’, the debut film of Priya V has clicked well with the audience. A light hearted romantic story with witty dialogues, it offers clean entertainment for the family.

And the story that has its roots from a childhood quarrel could be traced to the 34-year-old director’s childhood days. Priya says, “ Yes, there was this little boy with whom I was paired at a wedding and we just didn’t seem to get along. As we grew older, people around made it difficult for us to interact with one another with their teasing. I don’t even know what this boy is doing now.”

“I conceived a story with a situation like this, where the two meet during adolescence and wondered whether the sparks still fly. Will they give one another a chance?” And that is the essence of the film.

For Priya it has been a long journey starting from her college days at Madras Christian College, when she directed two plays for the Devanesan Memorial Theatre. A passion for theatre and films saw her take up a diploma course in Film Technology, specializing in Direction and Screenplay writing at the Film and TV Institute of Tamil Nadu, Chennai. During her course there, she received the Apt TV award for the ‘Best Diploma Film’.

Priya stepped into the tinsel world as Assistant Director for the film - ‘Indira’ directed by Suhasini Maniratnam. She says, “Suhasini inspired me greatly into films. While working with Maniratnam as his assistant for the film, ‘Iruvar’, I learnt a lot.”

Praising Maniratnam whom she calls her guru, Priya continues, “One is very much overwhelmed while working with Mani sir. He looks at an issue through many perspectives and takes the issue that is least thought off. He gives importance to the background of a scene and makes it as realistic as possible. It was a great learning experience for me.” She was his assistant for the film - ‘Dil Se’ and the associate director for ‘Yuva’ and 'Ayutha ezhuthu’.

Noteworthy was her contribution to the film - ‘Mitr-my friend’ directed by Revathy Menon. Priya wrote the story and wrote the screenplay and dialogue with Sudha Kongara. The film not only won the National award for ‘Best Feature Film in English’ in 2002 and also the Silver Peacock’ at the International Film Festival of India held in New Delhi in 2002.

Her work on the small screen, includes ‘Anbulla Snegidhiye’ and ‘Uravugal Oru Thodarkathai’. Both the serials won the best mega serial award and the best director award at the Mylapore Academy Drama Awards ceremony. Besides, films and television serial, Priya has worked on documentaries, the recent one for the Aids Prevention and Control Project.

Coming back to ‘Kanda Naal Mudhal’, you ask her about her favourite scenes in the film.Priya her face lighting up, recalls the airport scene where Karthik tells Laila that he wants to break the engagement. “It was controlled acting, all three of them at the scene, with Karthik saying, “I need space” and Laila trying her best to take it the right way. All three of them were good, the earlier part of the scene where Prasanna tries to make his friend change his mind.”

Among her favourite films she holds, Steven Spielberg’s ‘Colour Purple’ and Iranian films especially of Samira Makhmalbafs. The beginning has been made and as Priya looks ahead, a story for another film is already brewing.

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Kanda Naal Mudhal