Jagame Thandiram: Karthik Subbaraj Explains Why the Film is Set in Maduria and London

Karthik Subbaraj has delivered commercial and critical hits like Pizza, Jigarthanda, Iraivi, Mercury and Petta in less than nine years, and now he is ready with his next Jagame Thandiram, a gangster drama starring Dhanush.

“I have been a big fan of gangster films and most of them have been set in New York. I was there for a film festival and while walking down the streets, I thought of mixing both worlds. I come from Madurai and it is also known for gangsters,” said Karthik.

Karthik elaborates on Dhanush’s character as a mobster. “He doesn’t even understand English. This is a global story told through some local characters. The script had to happen in London. There are other angles too to the script other than the gangster dimension.”

Karthik presented Rajinikanth in a fan-favourite way in Petta. He said, “Petta was written for Thalaivar. Everything was defined like this is how he would walk and talk. Then we brought in all the styles because that is how I want to see his films. Even in this one, I initially thought about how Dhanush would fit in this role and once he agreed then I rewrote with him in mind. It’s like adding nuances as per the actor’s strengths. That way the fans also get to enjoy the film.”

Jagame Thandiram is a dramedy. “To bring out humour in any scene is tough. I might be able to laugh at something but the audience should also be able to laugh. I got confidence when the actors performed. Dhanush sir and Sharath have done remarkably well.”

Karthik is returning with music composer Santosh Narayanan for Jagame Thandiram. He worked with Anirudh Ravichander in all his films except Petta. He said, “We have spent more time together on this project than any other. We also got enough time due to lockdown. Even when I write, I have some references, not the composed ones. When it comes to the edit table, the editor brings in his own references, and at one point, we both come in sync.”

Jagame Thandiram is all set for Netflix debut on June 18.

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