R Madhavan gets candid with Brut at #Cannes2022 on his directorial debut Rocketry receiving a standing ovation and gives his take on cinema from southern India vs. Bollywood.
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00:00How can Nambi Narayan be so good looking and so straight forward and still be a genius and not have an affair?
00:04It's not possible.
00:05And I said, you know, that was not the right thing to do.
00:08So he's like, what?
00:09Are you going to teach me how to make an engineering rocket?
00:12Sir, this is not rocketry, it's puppetry.
00:14Hi guys, this is R. Madhavan for Brute.
00:18Alright, we're rolling in 3, 2, 1.
00:21There was a standing ovation for 10 minutes after the screening.
00:25How did that feel?
00:26Felt like I lost 30 kilos, you know.
00:28Felt really like I didn't have to work hard and I lost 30 kilos.
00:32It was a deep sense of relief.
00:34But I have decided that it's time to make these kind of films where we show India in a light that they're already shining in.
00:40Somehow not touched.
00:42So, this standing ovation yesterday was a reiteration of the fact that I believe that Mr. Nambi Narayanan deserved a standing ovation from the country.
00:52And yesterday was just the beginning.
00:54Tell us a little bit about when you met Mr. Nambi Narayanan, what was that meeting like?
00:57I had to prove myself to him before he actually gained enough respect to open up his entire achievement to me.
01:04He was telling me of a problem he had when he was testing out an engine.
01:07Where he was saying that the engine was becoming unstable because there was a vortex being formed in the fuel tank.
01:14Which was not letting the fuel get to the combustion chamber on time.
01:19So, how he had to at the last minute cut off the size of the combustion chamber so that the vortex doesn't get formed.
01:30And I said, you know, that was not the right thing to do.
01:32So, he was like, what? Are you going to teach me how to make an engine?
01:35I said, no, sir. Can I offer a suggestion? Because you've already done this.
01:40He said, yeah, yeah, tell me.
01:41I said, why would you have to compromise on the stability of the thing?
01:47Structural stability is getting compromised by cutting it and welding it.
01:51All you could have done is made a small hole in the top and put a reverse pipe into the exhaust.
01:55So that the inert gas that is being thrown out of the exhaust can increase the pressure inside the tank.
02:00And you'll be able to get the fuel flow much faster.
02:03He looked at me like he was going to kill me.
02:06And then he said, I wonder why you are not part of my team.
02:09It's releasing in so many languages, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu.
02:13Everything which is happening back home in terms of, you know, the Bollywood versus South industry.
02:18Here's a film which is releasing in all these languages.
02:21What is your take on the controversy back home?
02:26What I'm saying is, it's not a controversy because nobody is arguing it.
02:29The numbers are actually proving it.
02:31You know, they're saying, it used to be a domain of Hindi films.
02:34And slowly, the South heroes and the South stories have worked their way into the hearts of the masses.
02:39Who are now equally patronizing a good film.
02:42It is not true that all South films are getting a fantastic opening.
02:45We've got examples of that as well.
02:48And it's not true that all Hindi films are flopping.
02:51Because we've got examples of that as well.
02:53So, there are many films that have done well.
02:55For example, Gangubai has done so well.
02:58And it's, you know, with good reason.
03:01Or Kashmir Files has done so well.
03:03And yet other times, you have South Indian films.
03:06Prabhas's film which unfortunately didn't do well.
03:08But, you know, he's one of those national heroes.
03:11So, it's not necessary that all South Indian films are doing brilliantly well in Hindi.
03:15And not necessary that all Hindi films are dying.
03:18Just the audiences' tastes have changed.
03:21And, you know, some of us are unfortunately stuck with films that have been made two years ago.
03:25And two years, the COVID has changed everybody's outlook on life.
03:29So, there is no reason why one action film should do well.
03:32And the same action film in another language should not do well.
03:35I mean, if you look at Pushpa, it's the same as, it's an action film.
03:39Or Hero Banti is an action film.
03:41Or, you know, KGF is an action masala film.
03:44Or, you know, as big and large as possible.
03:47And Bachchan Pandey was the same.
03:49So, it's just that I think the relatability factor is, you know, is going around.
03:54And nothing can be said for sure about the outcome of any film.
03:59Except that the trailers play a large part in getting an opening.
04:03And if the opening is not good,
04:05then your recovery is not likely to be as good as you expect it to be.
04:09What are the things that we as movie makers need to do to be able to capitalize
04:13on maybe these international, you know, stages and events?
04:16I like your question.
04:17I wanted this film to be seen by the international diaspora
04:20simply to know how resilient a country we are.
04:23To be frank with you, it is not just about India.
04:27It's about every country that treats its own patriots.
04:30People who are actually genuinely concerned about the upliftment
04:33and upkeepment of their society and their nation.
04:37And how we have this really naggy instinct about us
04:40where we actually go after the good boy in class, you know.
04:43If he's a good guy, if he does his homework,
04:45if he does what the teacher says,
04:46if he dresses well in his policies and shoes
04:48and his shoelaces are always tied,
04:49then there must be something wrong with him.
04:51We want to go slap him and make him, you know, want to bully him.
04:54And that's an attitude we carry towards, you know, our entire life.
04:59How can Nambi Narayan be so good looking and so straightforward
05:02and still be a genius and not have an affair?
05:04It's not possible.
05:05So you have to find a crack in the armour
05:08and put your fingers there and put your nails there
05:11just to tear it apart so that you can feel good about yourself.
05:14That's a universal trend which we just say is so wrong.
05:18You just learn to respect these angels that live amongst us.
05:22If you don't celebrate those,
05:23then one of the lines in the film is
05:25no nation can remain great
05:27if it doesn't take care of those who make it great.
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