When he watched Mani Ratnam’s 1986 traditional Mouna Ragam, when he was just a bit over ten, S Sashikanth was mesmerised by the great thing about what the filmmaker, together with artwork director Thota Tharani, had imagined. “I nonetheless keep in mind all the small print…the ten-foot primary entrance, the spiral staircase, the wood jaali, the round courtyard, and the furnishings. That entire movie was lovely.” Sashikanth determined then he would both turn into an architect or a filmmaker. As one might think about, turning into an architect was a lot simpler than turning into a filmmaker. After graduating (he had by then assisted Tharani in Shankar’s Mudhalvan), Sashikanth approached Mani Ratnam for an internship. “However he stated, ‘You could have already turn into an architect, why don’t you are taking that route.’”
As suggested, Sashikanth went forward with structure, establishing his firm House Scape along with his spouse. When the cinema bug bit Sashikanth once more, he was 35, “too outdated to turn into an assistant director,” and so as a substitute, he selected to turn into a movie producer — as a result of “Why not?” In any case, it was a stint that would let him be taught filmmaking hands-on. And thus started the journey of Sashikanth’s immensely profitable manufacturing banner, YNot Studios.
And now, after greater than a decade, after producing 20+ movies, the architect-turned-producer has lastly realised his directing desires, having helmed the upcoming Netflix drama, Check, starring R Madhavan, Nayanthara, Siddharth and Meera Jasmine.
Together with Netflix India boss Monika Shergill, Sashikanth speaks about how structure fuelled his filmmaking.
Excerpts:
It’s attention-grabbing how structure and movie manufacturing are each marriages between creativity and economics. Have you ever at all times had a storyteller in you, Sashikanth?
Even in structure, you turn into your first viewers. A design is a narrative you inform your self. So, even for cinema, you want a designer mentality; you may’t take the all-creative or an all-scientific route. I take a look at movies like the way you design a home. It’s one thing that’s inherently yours, however you might be at all times doing it for anyone else. So I noticed myself as a storyteller who might take a look at filmmaking from a design perspective to inform a narrative.
S Sashikanth
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association
Did the architect in you turn out to be useful whereas producing movies?
Sure. Once I first got here in, the business was hooked on beginning a undertaking by way of narrations. However as an architect, I at all times checked out plans as a solution to convey all my artistic energies. You need to talk to your shoppers that even intangible artistic issues might have a scientific doc. So proper from the primary undertaking, we directed that each undertaking be checked out, understood and curated by way of script and growth.
The architectural system can be very collaborative. I may very well be the architect, however I would want a plumbing engineer, structural engineer, or mechanical engineer. That’s what movie manufacturing is like; so many individuals must work collaboratively.
Siddharth as Arjun, Lirish Rahav as Aditya, Meera Jasmine as Padma, Nayanthara as Kumudha, R. Madhavan as Saravanan in ‘Check’
| Photograph Credit score:
M.S. Anandan / Netflix
So I assume you’d do a pre-viz for all of your scenes?
Sure, each location was drafted out. We went and marked the place the digicam can be positioned. We used StudioBinder to map out every part, and even the actions of the actors have been choreographed. The whole lot was on paper, and so we had a Scene Bible. So I didn’t need to be there, and anybody might have checked out this and obtained it performed. I take a look at filmmaking when it comes to design, so I want all of the bases lined first earlier than letting any experimentation occur.
You had beforehand stated that you just considered the story of ‘Check’ a few years in the past; how a lot of it modified because the years progressed and cinema underwent its personal evolution?
It was a really plot-driven movie then. The essential concept was of a cricketer and what occurs to him, however being a David Fincher fan, I’ve at all times needed to get into the psychological research of characters. It’s straightforward to jot down a Check and name it ‘the take a look at of the characters,’ however that’s not the thought. Then I noticed an interview of Virat Kohli; supposedly, when his father handed away, a 18-year-old Kohli nonetheless packed his luggage and performed the Ranji Trophy match for Delhi. When the interviewer requested him how he had managed to do it, he stated, ‘Not enjoying was by no means a selection.’
That opened my perspective of what a cricketer is taking a look at when he enters his area; it’s one thing like a superhero story arc that he’s keen to sacrifice all these private bits for one thing a lot increased. These selections make you the hero or the villain. When he’s (Kohli) simply strolling away from that home, I’m certain many would have thought, ‘What sort of particular person is he?’ However then, he goes on to get the accolades of thousands and thousands. Generally, narcissism is checked out with a really destructive connotation, however that form of DNA is required for those to go on to turn into leaders. It gave me an ideal perception into how a sportsman would assume and take a look at life. I puzzled if that trait existed in widespread folks as properly, and that was the start of character growth.
Monika, you have got collaborated with Sashikanth on ‘Aelay,’ ‘Mandela’ and ‘Jagame Thandhiram. ’ What was your first response to collaborating on a undertaking with Sashikanth because the director?
Monika Shergill: I by no means noticed Sashi as only a producer. He at all times got here throughout as a creator-cum-producer. After we noticed Check, it was wonderful to see a movie discover character after a very long time. It examined the characters’ values and ethics. Numerous the cinema we see today may be very over-indexed on plot, and we’re exploring characters extra within the collection format. With Check, the plot trusted the characters and their decisions. I might see the architect in Sashi in each body. As a result of he’s an architect who might make lovely areas, and so, he might have made the areas look grander within the movie, however he caught to what was required and underplayed the setting in order that the characters might shine.
Monika Shergill
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association
The 4 leads of ‘Check,’ particularly Madhavan and Nayanthara, are stars who’ve stood the take a look at of time. What do you assume is the key to their longevity and to having lengthy careers in a occupation like cinema?
As we undergo life, we acquire a lot expertise. For instance, by way of 15 years of being a producer, having produced 25-odd movies, there have been many testing instances. I perceive the thought of a take a look at as what it means to take your home paperwork, give them to the financial institution and say, ‘Let’s launch this movie and take the possibility.’ You could be pushed to that place. The rationale we needed these actors is that they’ve gone by way of life as properly. The truth that they’re nonetheless right here means they’ve gained already. They know tips on how to battle. For Nayanthara to be a celebrity for 20 years and for the form of roles Madhavan goes after…it’s all qualitative.
Sashikanth, how excited are you about reuniting with the ‘Bramayugam’ workforce for the upcoming Pranav Mohanlal-starrer?
It’s thrilling. The movie is already on flooring. We’ve at all times been content-driven and have tried to push the boundaries. As was the case in Bramayugam, we confronted particular hurdles that wanted to be crossed. However we’re tremendous excited. The workforce is already within the second week of capturing.
Monika, can we anticipate content material like ‘Adolescence’ from Netflix India?
Monika Shergill: It depends upon the creators. I genuinely really feel that Netflix is right here to inform high-quality tales for a really various viewers. Adolescence is an excellent, well timed present, contemplating what we’re all experiencing. What’s necessary to do is to maintain coming nearer to our audiences, to replicate on the instances we’re in, and to inform very highly effective tales. We’re telling nice tales, and Check is an instance of that.
India has a really complicated viewers; it’s in contrast to a number of markets and since I work at Netflix, I get to expertise many markets. India has a really heterogeneous viewers, so it’s necessary that creators additionally perceive which viewers they wish to speak to. As a platform, we’re there to speak to all audiences. For us, we’re Netflix for all. That’s the journey that we’re on. We wish to be probably the most cherished service, and it’s necessary to determine, create and fee thought-provoking tales that may entertain a large set of audiences. It’s as much as creators what sort of tales they carry and what they wish to say. So we’re right here, and I hope that we get stronger and stronger by the form of tales that we inform and what the creators in India wish to say to the Indian viewers and the viewers the world over.
Check premieres on Netflix on Friday, April 4
Revealed – April 02, 2025 10:18 pm IST
