Brinda on directing ‘Thugs’, breaking stereotypes and her love for the lens

Dance choreographer-turned-filmmaker Brinda talks about her sophomore directorial, shifting genres and portrayal of violence on screen

Brinda, known for choreographing some of the most famous film songs across several languages, made her directorial debut with Hey Sinamika last year. Just like the many duets she worked on, that film too was a breezy rom-com.

However, it is a surprise to see the promotional material from her latest film, Thugs, releasing this Friday. Thugs comes across as a raw, gritty film mounted on a prison backdrop. Ask her the reason for such a drastic transition and Brinda, on a phone call from Mumbai amidst a Hindi song shoot’s break, says, “As a choreographer, I would want a variation in the songs I work on. After a duet song, I’d prefer a song like ‘Adiye’ (Kadal). That’s why even in Ponniyin Selvan 1, the six songs were drastically different from each other. I got a romance story in the place of Thugs, but it didn’t interest me much.”

That’s when producer Shibu Thameens approached her with the script of Thugs, wanting to introduce his son, Hridhu Haroon, to the industry. “I was initially apprehensive, but after meeting Hridhu, I realised that he’s a good actor. The story too was perfect for someone his age to star in. The rest of the cast - Simha, RK Suresh sir and Munishkanth anna - came together quite well,” says Brinda, who wanted the film’s music to be different from her first venture. “We wanted Sam CS to be in charge of music given his different style. There aren’t many songs in Thugs as the film didn’t need them; it is similar to how Suriya, whose character in Kaakha Kaakha is a cop, wouldn’t dance in ‘Uyirin Uyire’. Just because I’m a choreographer, I didn’t want to force songs into a story that doesn’t demand them. I wanted to break such stereotypes.”

Interestingly, Thugs is also about breaking the stereotype that all convicts are hardened criminals. “While there are convicts who knew about the repercussions before committing a crime, there are also those who are forced by certain situations to get on the wrong side of the law. That idea intrigued me a lot,” says Brinda who adds that despite the rigorous shoot, she enjoyed the change in the atmosphere. “We spoke to some real-life ex-convicts. Their backstories and what they had to go through in the correction facilities were heart-wrenching. The film is inspired by Malayalam movie Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil (2018) and though the essence will remain, we have tried to change the tone of it.”

The trailer of Thugs also has shots of custodial violence, but Brinda says that there are two sides to a coin. “Despite the circumstances for the crime, it’s natural for cops to see all the convicts through the same lens. We have seen how custodial torture hasn’t been meted out to those with power or influence. On the other hand, what cops go through on a daily basis isn’t really a walk in the park either. We cannot blame the entire system for the mistakes of a few. Many of our lives have been touched by good cops too. Good and bad exist everywhere, which is also the theme of the film,” says Brinda. Speaking about the technical aspects, she says, “We have not used a zoom lens at all and we’ve stuck to the block lens which aids in giving the film a raw and rustic feel. I’ve always loved cameras and I initially wanted to become a camerawoman, but as my family was already into dancing, I had to follow suit.”

But given the space she has created for herself as a choregrapher, Brinda doesn’t even have time to lament about the what ifs. “I’m busy with a lot of Hindi films. Even now, I’m working with Sanya Malhotra on the Hindi remake of The Great Indian Kitchen. What a fabulous dancer she is; it’s great to see such talents who have an interest towards the craft! What more can choreographers ask for,” says Brinda.

In Tamil, her next biggie is Ponniyin Selvan 2. “That (Ponniyin Selvan 2) will break all records. Mani sir, my guru, will kill it, as always,” she concludes.