Director's Cut: Anirudh Iyer on his debut film An Action Hero, 'I won’t lie, I am nervous'

Anirudh Iyer is all set to make his directorial debut in An Action Hero. The film stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Jaideep Ahlawat. It will hit screens on December 2. The Free Press Journal caught up with the filmmaker for an exclusive chat.

Anirudh had assisted filmmaker Aanand L Rai previously. The critically acclaimed director’s films were always based on stories of the heartland. Anirudh shares, “It has to do a lot with Aanand sir. He believes in people having their own voice. He always told me that he is glad that I stuck to him and his kind of cinema but when I will make my own film, I should tell in my own way. Me being a Mumbaikar, my exposure is very different from him. I don’t get inclined to certain kinds of stories since I don’t understand the cultural nuances.”

He adds, “As far as the idea is concerned, I get our stories from the society itself. It’s been 10-12 years that I have been seeing this industry, good and bad. So, subconsciously, I can’t say where did the idea germinate.”

Firsts are always special and so is An Action Hero for Anirudh. When asked if he is nervous, he reveals, “I won’t lie, I am nervous. My mother always told me that I am a very calm person in life so people can’t tell if I am nervous or not. For a director, it is important to not look stressed.”

An Action Hero is Ayushmann’s first-ever out and out action film. When asked how he blends his style with Ayushmann’s image, he avers, “Like we say, films are a director’s medium and I always have a very visual image about a script. It is always better to show rather than to say. I really enjoy cinema and cinematic experience. I tried to create a visual impact. It was very sweet of him to come to me on the first day of the shoot and tell me, ‘I have been making films since a decade but this is also my debut film. Let’s just jump into it together’.”

On a parting note, he explains his journey ahead from his debut. “I believe that genres come to a movie in the later stages. For my debut film also, I didn’t know that it’s an action-thriller film. I have a lot of stories that I need to tell. I really like drama as a genre. I have grown up watching Mani Ratnam’s films. I cry several times while watching his films,” he concludes.