Karthik Subbaraj discusses producing Triples on Hotstar, and why anthologies challenge him as a filmmaker

In Tamil cinema, the benchmark set by late writer and actor Crazy Mohan is unparalleled. The makers of  _Triples_ , a comedy web series currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, have been mentioning in their press interactions that they have tried to pay respect to the legacy of Crazy Mohan with the series. Director Karthik Subbaraj, one of the producers of the film, clarifies, “Everyone in our team is a huge fan of Crazy Mohan sir’s films. When Kalyan told me the gist of the script written by Balaji, I found it hilarious. Comedy is a serious business, and it’s not at all easy to make a full-fledged comedy film. As a director myself, I haven’t made an out-and-out comedy entertainer yet in my career because the process of writing itself is painstaking, and demands a massive effort.” Subbaraj is in an interesting space right now. He is directing and producing films for both mainstream theatres and OTT space. “I would prefer theatrical experience but at the same time, audiences have now started embracing content from the web. I think OTT content  gives us a few liberties but theatrical content will always have its charm.

During the lockdown, I directed in an anthology for an OTT platform, and I’m also making another anthology now. As a filmmaker, anthologies excite me because you have to tell a solid story within 30 minutes. I consider it as a fascinating challenge.”

On the lucrative offers he has been getting after working with Rajinikanth in Petta, Subbaraj says, “Petta has opened many doors for me. Also, it boosted my confidence to handle bigger stars. Before Petta, I had budget constraints for my films but now, producers are ready to invest in my projects” Talking about his upcoming directorial film Jagame Thandhiram with Dhanush and rumours on its direct OTT premiere, the director says, “Releasing films on OTT or the theatres is a producer’s call because they are answerable to the financiers. Luckily, our producer Sashikanth has told us that Jagame Thandhiram will only release in theaters, and he is ready to wait for things to return to normal.” The director is known for his surprise climax twists and diametrically opposite genres in the two halves of his films. He elaborates, “My primary motto is to surprise the audience. Even in our life, things are unpredictable and as a filmmaker, I want the audience to feel the unpredictability in my films. But somehow, as you mentioned, the first half and second half of my films turn out to be different.” After Jagame Thandhiram, Subbaraj is all set to team up with Tamil superstar Vikram and his son Dhruv for an action thriller. Subbaraj says that the pandemic has not affected the progress of the film. “Yes, I’m currently penning the script of the film. Once I lock the script, we will kick start the pre-production, and then announce the shoot plans.” Triples is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.