After four years since his first film, Oh My Kadavule, director Ashwath Mairumuthu is back with a new project called Dragon, featuring his buddy, actor-director Pradeep Ranganathan. The film is produced by AGS Entertainment and includes a talented cast with Anupama Parameswaran, Kayadu Lohar, Mysskin, Gautham Vasudev Menon, KS Ravikumar, and Sneha. As the release date approaches on February 21, the 34-year-old director shared with Hindustan Times that this film is a drama specifically crafted for Pradeep.

So, how does Dragon differ from Oh My Kadavule? Ashwath says, “At its core, the storytelling and emotional connection will feel familiar. Viewers will leave the theater smiling, maybe with a few tears, feeling a sense of achievement. That’s what we aim for. However, while Oh My Kadavule leans more towards romance, Dragon is set in a college environment. The film’s message is about true success coming from honest efforts, caring for your family, and living joyfully. There’s a dramatic element tied to a desire that we haven’t shown in the trailer yet. Overall, Dragon is designed to be a more commercial and entertaining experience.”

Pradeep Rangathanan, known for his role as Ragavan ‘Dragon’ Dhanapal, hit it big with his 2022 film, Love Today, which raked in ₹100 crore. Ashwath is pretty sure that Dragon will resonate with the general audience. He mentioned that even though he and Pradeep are good buddies and had some chats before he started writing Dragon, this project is all about Ashwath Marimuthu’s vision. “We always support each other in our films, but in Dragon, Pradeep was just the actor. I’m a pretty tough director, and that’s what everyone who worked on the film has said about me,” he chuckled. “I didn’t let anyone change even a single line. This is my film, and I made it clear that everyone needed to stick to the script. The way I crafted the film, every line and scene flows into the next. If someone tries to throw in a joke they think is funny, it might not fit the overall vibe and could mess with the character development or traits.”

The director of Ori Devuda thinks that Pradeep, who he’s known since college and has been friends with for over ten years, is still the same guy but has really grown as a hero. “Pradeep has all the qualities to become a major star – he’s super punctual, works hard, and is always the first one on set. Even though he’s a director himself, when you work with him, people might assume there’s some collaboration happening, but that’s not the case here. He’s just an actor in this film. He understands that when you’re on another director’s set, your role is to act. He knows where to draw the line. It’s similar to how Rajinikanth and Vijay operate – they might discuss the film before shooting, but once they’re on set, they follow the director’s vision and do what’s needed,” he emphasized.

Ashwath also mentioned that thanks to AGS Entertainment, he didn’t run into any issues while filming and was able to create Dragon just as he imagined. He added, “The producers provided everything I needed, and there were no compromises at all. If you notice anything off in the movie, that’s on me. This film is in a genre I’m really comfortable with, and I think I played to my strengths with the script.”

There are three other directors who are also acting in this film: Mysskin, Gautham Vasudev Menon, and KS Ravikumar. How was it directing Mysskin? “The initial days were a bit challenging because I really wanted to stick to my script without any deviations. But after that, it became much smoother working with him. He was super supportive, always giving me compliments and getting everyone to cheer on set. Honestly, I think Mysskin will be the first thing people mention about this film,” he chuckled.

The music for Dragon is by Leon James, and Ashwath can’t stop raving about the talented young composer. “The music is amazing. I’m basically Leon’s biggest fan and promoter! He’s created some fantastic tracks for Dragon, and I really hope he gets even more great chances in the future,” Ashwath shared, who’s gearing up to start his next project with Silambarasan, also known as STR or Simbu, in August.

“This film with Simbu is going to be totally different from Oh My Kadavule and Dragon. It’s a fantasy flick where Simbu takes on the role of the God of Love. He’s not Cupid, but he plays Manmadhan. The movie mixes fantasy elements with the story I want to tell. The character has some complex traits. You’ll get it once you see the film,” he added.

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