HipHop Tamizha Adhi on His Plans Post ‘Meesaya Murukku 2’: ‘Whenever Something Strikes Me, I Make it Into Art (EXCLUSIVE)

HipHop Tamizha Adhi’s recently released Tamil film “Meesaya Murukku 2” has been well received by audiences. In an exclusive interview with Variety India, Adhi talks about his early struggles as an indie artist, his successful partnership with Jeeva, and making a musical film like “Meesaya Murukku 2.”

You started as an independent artist and then stepped into cinema. Do you think it is easier or harder for independent Tamil indie artists to break out today compared to when you started?
When I started, in the early 2000s, there was no internet or YouTube. So, we grew along with the internet during that era. And since we came into a free space, we had a fair fight, and talent was the only yardstick used to measure success. Now, I think it is more unfair to artists who hustle because the internet has become mainstream. It is a monetized platform now, and when there is monetization, the scales aren’t based only on talent. They are also based on the capitalistic power you have to push your art form in terms of marketing.

We put videos on YouTube to make money. If you want your videos to reach the right audience, you need to put money into these platforms that are digitally pushing you. So, the game has become a little unfair compared to when we started. I think artists today have to work on all fronts. They have to build their own brand, and not stop with just art. They also have to market themselves in this field where huge corporations are their competitors.

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You and Jeeva have been delivering musical hits for over a decade, from ‘Thani Oruvan’ to ‘Aranmanai 4.’ What is the secret to keeping your musical partnership conflict-free?
We started from scratch together. So, before the money and fame, we hustled together toward our dream. Then, at some point, we realized our dream wasn’t money or fame; it was just making music. So now, we’re excited about the process of making music. We never followed rules back then, and we don’t now.

‘Kadaisi Ulaga Por’ was a heavy dystopian film, while ‘Meesaya Murukku 2’ is a musical celebration. How do you shift gears between such vastly different genres?
That was because a lot of wars were happening at that time. There was too much chaos right after the pandemic. The biggest lesson we learned from it was that you are lucky to be alive and should just be together. But after that phase, everybody was back to fighting. That’s when we made “Kadaisi Ulaga Por,” which is about World War. It was about what happens after you drop bombs and the whole of humanity is wiped out. You will need another person to live with you. Right? So, that is the endgame.
As an artist, you share your thoughts and worries through your art. So, this time, we had concerns about the music business and the opportunities for independent artists. We felt it was time to make something about it. We did a music video called “Takkaru Takkaru,” which started the whole Jallikattu movement in South India. So, we believe our art can make a change in society, and we think this movie is the need of the hour for artists like me, who want to hustle and come up in life.

Now that ‘Meesaya Murukku 2’ has been released, what are you planning next?
There is never a "next" for me because two years ago, I did “Kadaisi Ulaga Por,” and then I went on a world tour. I stopped making movies. I came back from the world tour and dived straight into “Meesaya Murukku 2.” I’m an artist. So, whenever something strikes me, I make it into art. Right now, I’m waiting for that to happen.