Sriram Raghavan discusses 'Ikkis'; lessons learned from 'Merry Christmas'
Sriram Raghavan has assumed the role of ambassador for the inaugural Red Lorry Film Festival, organized by BookMyShow. The event—slated to grace the Jio World Plaza from April 5 to 7—will transport audiences into a meticulously curated cinematic realm. In a recent interview, Raghavan delved into his curation process, stating, "Zeroing down on titles like The Last Night of Amore, Dark Passage, and Psycho was an intriguing journey." He also reflected upon his next, Ikkis, and his latest, Merry Christmas.
Raghavan's method for choosing films for varied audiences
In a conversation with The Indian Express, Raghavan revealed his approach to choosing films that cater to a diverse audience. He emphasized the need to find a balance between films that personally resonate with him and those that will captivate viewers. "So the idea was to go for a mix. Because it is a festival, I am prepared as a viewer to watch a certain kind of film followed by something that is tonally completely different," he mentioned.
Raghavan's confidence in the audience's intelligence and engagement
Further, Raghavan voiced his confidence in the intelligence of modern audiences, asserting that he doesn't believe in spoon-feeding them. He cited celebrated Australian filmmaker Billy Wilder's words, "Each member of the audience can be imbecile but collectively in a hall they are pure genius." Despite recognizing that audiences can be impatient and distracted due to mobile phones, he maintains that it's the filmmaker's responsibility to keep them engaged.
Raghavan justified the slower pace of 'Merry Christmas'
Further in the interview, the Ek Hasina Thi director spoke about Merry Christmas, starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi, and acknowledged that some viewers found the pace slow. However, he justified this by stating, "But it was a choice I made, an experiment I wanted to try." "Because if enough people like this pace and this kind of a movie to watch in a cinema hall, it adds a lot of value to all of us," he added.
Raghavan on 'Merry Christmas's climax
Speaking about the polarizing climax of MC, Raghavan reflected, "The climax was what I loved the most. But now I can't help it and be like, 'Some people didn't like it so let me change it.' Pleasing all is pleasing none." "You have to go ahead with what you like and hope that enough people like it too, which they have. At least since it has come on Netflix, more people have watched it." Read our Merry Christmas review here.
Raghavan's forthcoming project: The emotional war drama 'Ikkis'
Looking ahead, Raghavan is currently working on an emotional war drama titled Ikkis, starring Agastya Nanda, who made his debut with Zoya Akhtar's The Archies last year. Elaborating about the project, the filmmaker said, "It was a break from the kind of movies I was doing, and I wanted that, so that the next time I am doing a thriller, I feel fresh." When asked about his future plans, he hinted at "toying with two-three subjects."
