It was a Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi’s event, the one that focused on his upcoming dystopian drama Kadaisi Ulaga Por, held at the PGS Studios, tucked in one corner of Chennai. Unlike the usual celebrity event in which a host is roped in to introduce and praise every chief guest of the show, the pre-release event of Kadaisi Ulaga Por begged to differ. Aadhi himself went on to climb the stage, and induct everyone onto the stage. And it was not just restricted to the main cast alone. Aadhi took enough and more time to respect every soul involved in his most ambitious project so far. “It is everyone’s blood and sweat,” Aadhi says as his team sports a proud grin every time their names are mentioned.

Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi Interview

The multi-hyphenated Aadhi, who wrote, directed, composed, produced, and starred in Kadaisi Ulaga Por, says everything boils down to one thing, art. And what is art for him I ask. “For me, it is self-expression and that is how I see and use it,” Aadhi says.

Aadhi, whose origins trace back to the musical duo band Hiphop Tamizha he created alongside Jeeva, reiterates how it is more than just a band but a movement of its own. Now, Hiphop Tamizha is not only a music-churning entity, but also the one that culminates various activities, from film production to introducing new talents. 

Having come this far, asked what is the idea of art he came with into the industry, and how far he has been able to achieve it, Aadhi says, “We are still doing. If you have seen my previous film PT Sir, we wanted to tell a message needed for society. Similarly, Kadaisi Ulaga Por is about how every last standing man on Earth would require another human for support. We use art to communicate with people about the messages that we would like to say. We will continue.”

Kadaisi Ulaga Por, which translates to Last World War in English, paints a sorrowful state of affairs in the world, given its title and what its predecessors have caused to mankind, but on the other hand also reiterates the last of deadly wars the planet will witness. “We kept the title in Tamil to reiterate the meanings of both ends and enough. You can take it in any way. How you take it, is also the reason for the nomenclature of it.”

Being the multi-faceted artist

You name it, Aadhi would have tried most out of the 24 crafts in the film industry. From being a lyricist, musician, filmmaker and actor, how does he choose his medium of messaging? “We don’t filter out the medium. Art becomes what it is when it is free-flowing. You cannot stop it but only channelize into different art forms. Say Kadaisi Ulaga Por, there are about ten songs that sound like indie music and we are speaking about a larger issue, hence we chose to do it as a film. In the case of PT Sir, there is a song on women's empowerment, but we needed a film to tell it strongly. With the Takkaru Takkaru song, a documentary was enough to tell. The choices are made purely instinctively,” he answers.

Aadhi admits he loves to entertain people, something that is a precursor when it comes to making films. He adds, “Films give me much scope to do that. End of the day, it is always education and entertainment combined for me. I will be very happy if I can say something good through my films.”

A firm believer that a film can hold the power to change someone’s life, Aadhi says films have the scope to entertain and emote people, but also is a piece of art that is created in the society and how people around react to it. “The way I see it, I watch a film because it is entertaining but I also have a takeaway from it. I will continue to make art, and bring more artists to the platform they deserve.”

A collaborative piece

Aadhi sees every piece of art as a consuming content that requires combined synergy of his team. He says that when he looks from the perspective of many mediums, he is able to achieve in a more cohesive way. “I have tried to acquired the skill set required with each of my films, before I venture into another. It makes the work easier. Where I need help, the collaborations are happening. I ideate only, and I am greatly helped and aided by my teams in the respective departments,” Aadhi explains.

Has there been a struggle in assembling like-mindedness among his teams? Well, Aadhi is proud to say that about 80% of his team consists of his fans. “They are all from my fan clubs or internship programmes. They have come to me after consuming what I gave them through my art. There is no need for orientation and it is almost like a tribe.”

Aadhi is proud of how he is able to mingle with the public and keep himself grounded, which gives him the main source of understand what his audience needs. Careful enough not to sound too preachy through his art form, Aadhi says he lives a normal life and not surrounded by a bubble of a celebrity.

Having produced, scored, directed and starred in Kadaisi Ulago Por, Aadhi says, “This film is executed in an artistic way, and I don’t departmentalise.”

But how does it work on the ground when you are shooting?

“My background music keeps playing at the back of my mind, and I know where to pause and score. It is much easier for me. I know this film has to be shot in ultra-wide screen format because it has to be immersive. My mind also knows the soundscape to make it more immersive.” Aadhi continues that even at the stage of scripting, he makes sure all the necessary points, including where the music starts and trails off, are noted.

Aadhi says his script includes multiple factors that he almost compares to a morse code that only he understands. “From the feels, to musical notes, VFX shot divisions, my script will look like a brain map from which the dialogues are pulled out to make it a screenplay script.”

Aadhi concludes this conversation by saying how Kadaisi Ulaga Por is a film that will warrant fun and enjoyment in theatres, with his dose of flavour and socially aware content.

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