Pranav is still an enigma to me: Interview with Vineeth Sreenivasan

When ‘Thattathin Marayathu’ was released, youngsters were hoping for a similar love story to happen in their lives. It was the kind of romance that had an instant connection with the youth. It hit them like lightning. Vineeth Sreenivasan’s idea of romance was always pristine and beautiful. After a brief hiatus, Vineeth is back with ‘Hridayam’, to prove that such a soft-spoken and introverted man nurtures so much romance in his heart!

Who is Pranav Mohanlal?

No one can guess what Pranav is thinking. There will be a perennial smile on his face though. Despite working together I haven’t been able to understand Pranav. And it is true that we have hardly interacted before this film. I have only met him during a few occasions—Lal (Mohanlal) uncle’s birthday and Amma’s stage show. His walk, the way he nods his head, mannerisms, the manner in which he talks, and above all his cute looks were the factors that drew me towards Pranav. And Pranav has brought all that to his character in ‘Hridayam.’ I knew Kalyani quite well as my father and Priyan uncle were neighbours in Chennai. So I used to keep bumping into her.

About Pranav-Kalyani pair

We wanted a fresh pairing for this campus film. That’s how they came to my mind. Pranav has so far done action and two other serious films. I wanted to present Pranav differently. If you remember the Nivin Pauly you saw in ‘Thattathin Marayathu’ was a far cry from his earlier angry young man roles. As for Darshana, I was impressed by her earlier performances and decided to cast her for ‘Hridayam.’ She has a very expressive face.

Wasn’t the running time (close to 3 hrs) a big risk?

All credit to our editor Ranjan Abraham. He is an experienced film editor and he edits in a certain way. First, he will nicely trim the film. Then, he will add different elements together and make it beautiful. The fact that no one who saw the film initially found it boring was a big relief.

Filled with music

It was impossible to narrate this film without music. One thing I was certain of was that the songs should be organically placed and not stand like a sour thumb in the narrative. The songs should simply flow into the narrative. And our music director Hisham composed the songs with that brief in mind. Music is an integral part of my life. So I also look at music through that lens.

Vineeth’s wife Divya also sang a song

During the lockdown, Divya had sung a song. Hisham had given the music. When Hisham suggested that we should experiment with her voice for the film, we decided to go ahead. And it fitted perfectly. I think that song sung by Chitra chechi would not have had the same effect if we had used another singer. She added so much depth to it.

What Sreenivasan said

When my father heard the song, he observed that Divya had sung it beautifully. He hadn’t really commented on my film’s songs before. So I guess I had made the right choice.

What was the inspiration behind ‘Hridayam’

What if one person erased his past and quickly started on a new life?—that was the thread that inspired ‘Hridayam’. I knew it was not possible to do it one fine morning. But I was curious to see if such a thought could be made into a film. When we all go back in time, we will all have pleasant memories to cherish. That was how it all started.