It's hard not to like director Rajesh. He practises what he preaches as far as according importance to women is concerned. Both his films Siva Manasula Sakthi (SMS) and Boss Engira Bosskiran (BEB) dealt with man-woman relationships, and in both, the male characters were portrayed as being brash, irresponsible and whimsical. Needless to say, both went on to do extremely well at the box office, making Rajesh a sought-after man and giving his next film a certain edge.

With such a track record, it is only natural that one wonders if he has taken the side of women in Oru Kal Oru Kannadi, his next film, as well. Grins the director, “I have shown mistakes committed by both genders in Oru Kal Oru Kannadi. Having said that, I must admit that in real life, most men I know are at fault when it comes to relationships. It is only fair that I present this state of affairs in my films.”

While some people choose to attribute his rise to popularity to a stroke of ‘good luck', others know that it is much more than just luck. A strong script, a good cast and, more importantly, a sound understanding of boy-girl relationships are what have helped the man garner the praise he has.

But what is the one factor that has helped him gain such a good understanding of relationships? “I would say it's my personal life. I loved Shakti and married her after a four-year courtship. She has studied Visual Communication from SRM but is today a homemaker. My relationship with her has helped me understand the psychology of women better. My experiences on the home front helped me shape my scripts.”

Does that mean the sequences in his film are based on incidents in his life? “No, not at all. I only think on the lines of ‘Okay, I goofed up here. How else would another person goof up under the same set of circumstances?' Then, I think of presenting the situation. My wife has been a pillar of strength, right from the start. Everyone knows how difficult it is for a director to make his first film. All through this period, she stood by me and helped me overcome problems.”

Oru Kal Oru Kannadi, which stars Udhayanidhi Stalin and Hansika Motwani in the lead, has Santhanam joining hands with him for a third consecutive time. A formidable combination, one must say, considering the fact that every other project that the two have worked on have gone on to become hits. “We had a blast on the sets and I thoroughly enjoyed making this film as well. Santhanam will scale greater heights with this one,” signs off Rajesh.

Just for laughs

Rajesh and Santhanam are blessed with a sense of humour. Needless to say, when the two are around, everybody on the sets has a jolly good time. According to sources, actor Hansika, in particular, had a tough time controlling her laughter and burst out laughing even during emotional sequences.

Confirms Hansika with a smile, “All three, Udhay, Santhanam and Rajesh, are fun-loving people and I had a blast shooting for this film. I play a girl called Meera, who makes a guy go weak in his knees. It is a dominating character, very different from what I am in real life. “Santhanam kept making me laugh by addressing me as Angelina Jolie. Also thanks to this project, I can now ride a bike.”