Interview | Vishnu Vishal feels pressure of naming next film Aaryan after son: ‘Need it do well at any cost’
It has been three years since the 2022 film Gatta Kusthi, where Vishnu Vishal was last seen as a solo hero. The 2024 film Lal Salaam was overshadowed by Rajinikanth, and this year’s release, Oho Enthan Baby, served more as a launchpad for his brother Rudra than as a platform for himself.
With the thriller film Aaryan, which is releasing in theatres on October 31, Vishnu hopes the audience doesn’t compare it to his 2018 hit Ratsasan. So much so that he even wore a T-shirt proclaiming ‘not Ratsasan’ to the promotions. “I have been mentioning everywhere that Aaryan is not Ratsasan because such comparisons might hurt the film,” says Vishnu in an interview with Hindustan Times.
Vishnu Vishal feels the pressure of naming film Aaryan
Vishnu calls the concept of Aaryan ‘exciting’ while talking about it, even though he doesn’t reveal much about the cop thriller. “It was a challenge to bring this on screen, let’s just say that. And whenever I do a thriller, it gets compared to Ratsasan. But I wanted to give the audience a different experience this time around, and I think Aaryan is just that. The concept just clicked for me and I believe it will for the audience, too,” he says.
Incidentally, Aryan is also the name of Vishnu’s first child, who accompanied him to the event dressed as a police officer. He tells us that while the choice to name the film after his son was intentional, he now feels the pressure of it doing well. “When I heard the story, we thought we would go with another title. However, I asked my director if we could change the title to my son’s name, especially since it also holds significance in the film,” says the actor-producer, adding, “Naming the film after my son made me emotionally connected. But now I feel the pressure of making it a hit. I didn’t anticipate that. I named it after him because I am that confident in the project, but now I need it to do well at any cost.”
Vishnu Vishal on lack of support in Kollywood
Vishnu hopes that Aaryan will not only receive support from the audience, whom he says have always supported him in making unique films, but also from others in the Tamil film industry. “This is a vast jungle that has space for everyone is what I feel. Whenever somebody does well or their film moves me, I pick up my phone to talk to them. Maybe others don’t like my films as much, despite the audience liking them, because I hardly receive love from the people I look up to. I don’t want praise; I just want genuine feedback. I used to feel bad about it, I don’t as much anymore,” rues the actor.
He also says that for films like Ratsasan, Gatta Kusthi and FIR, which went on to become hits, he has had to grovel to get producers on board the projects. “I had to do a lot of convincing to get producers to not just fund but stick with these projects. When I see other films being made, I wonder if they had to go through the same process…it’s just how the industry works. Healthy competition is good, and I believe we’ll go far by being supportive of each other,” he says, adding, “I am working to be better at my craft because I know where I lack. I have also begun producing films I believe in. Now the industry has started believing in me, but it has only happened recently, and it took a lot of time. I just think I should’ve been supported more in my initial days.”
His advice for brother Rudra
I ask Vishnu if his brother Rudra is in a better position than he was now, given that he has his support in the very least. He admits, “I told him he is luckier than I was and he should value it. Many people don’t get such opportunities, so I asked him not to let success or failure go to his head. His first movie, Oho Enthan Baby, didn’t perform as expected at the box office, but it did fare better on OTT. I told him we made a decent film, but today, that isn’t good enough. He now wants to do a concept-backed film that will go on floors next month.”
As for Vishnu, he says he has at least five to six projects that he knows will definitely come to fruition. “I know because I am the producer. (laughs) I have Gatta Kusthi 2, a film directed by Ratsasan’s Ram Kumar, which is a sports-based movie with a love story…the story for my 25th film has also been confirmed. The audience is far superior to us, and we need to stay ahead of the game to outsmart them. And that’s all I aim to do in the next two years,” he rounds off.
