‘R. Madhavan’s Suggestions Worked For Us’: ‘G.D.N.’ Director Krishnakumar Ramakumar On Actor’s Inputs Enhancing The Film (EXCLUSIVE)

Krishnakumar Ramakumar’s “G.D.N.” may seem like a dramatic departure for a filmmaker whose earlier directorial work was rooted in romance and comedy. But the GD Naidu biopic is, in fact, one of the earliest stories he wanted to bring to the screen. Ramakumar first directed “Kaadhal Enbadhu Kannula Heart Irukkura Emoji,” part of Prime Video’s “Modern Love Chennai” anthology, before following it up with “Oho Enthan Baby.” Long before either project materialized, however, he had begun developing a film about GD Naidu. “The idea of making a G.D. Naidu biopic was actually one of the first stories I wrote,” Ramakumar tells Variety India.

R. Madhavan plays celebrated inventor and industrialist Gopalswamy Doraiswamy Naidu, popularly known as the “Edison of India,” in the film that features an ensemble cast that includes Sathyaraj, Jayaram, Priyamani, Dushara Vijayan and Aditi Balan. Produced by Varghese Moolan Pictures in association with Madhavan’s Tricolour Films, “GDN” is set for a worldwide theatrical release on July 17.

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School textbook to big screen

Ramakumar’s first encounter with Naidu came during his school years, when the inventor occupied little more than a passing mention in a textbook. Years later, during his college days, the filmmaker spotted a book on GDN at a book fair. “I immediately felt a sense of familiarity and picked up the book. We all know GD Naidu as a great scientist and inventor, but he was much more than that, as I discovered through the biography,” Ramakumar says.

He adds,  “Naidu led an extremely dramatic life. The sheer number of things that happened in his life, beyond his achievements and inventions, was what made me choose him as a subject.”

The man behind the inventor

Bringing GD Naidu’s life to the screen required Ramakumar to move beyond the familiar public narrative surrounding the inventor. His initial interpretation of Naidu came largely from the biography he had read. Conversations with the inventor’s son and grandson significantly altered his understanding of the man. Those conversations also became an important corrective during the writing process. “There were instances when they would tell me, ‘This is not how he would have ideally reacted.’ I took note of those observations, and they were incorporated into the film,” he mentions. Ramakumar believes the access helped him bring a more human dimension to his interpretation of Naidu.

Inventions only a small part of ‘G.D.N.’

Despite Naidu being one of India’s most prolific inventors, “GDN” is not structured as a catalogue of Naidu’s achievements. “His inventions are actually only a minuscule part of the film. They remain almost a passing mention because there was so much more to his life,” Ramakumar says. The filmmaker further acknowledges that attempting to capture the entirety of Naidu’s life within a single film would have been impossible. “If I have to describe it, I have presented only a slice of the entire cake. His life was incredibly vast and had so much more to offer.”

How R. Madhavan changed the film

Madhavan’s involvement and experience helped refine both the screenplay and the film’s emotional rhythms. He shares, “When Madhavan read the script, he brought so much of his own wisdom to it, which added immensely to my story. When we eventually worked together, he brought his experience, expertise and wisdom to the film that you see today. He added a lot more nuances and textures to the story. He also suggested structural changes to the screenplay. He would suggest that two or three scenes could be combined to create a stronger impact. Those suggestions worked very well for us.”

For Ramakumar, allowing collaborators to influence the material strengthened the film rather than taking it away from his original vision. “The story underwent changes as collaborators came on board, and surprisingly, those changes were for the better.”

Rewriting a character for Sathyaraj

Ramakumar points to Sathyaraj’s character as one of the clearest examples of an actor influencing the screenplay. “The character played by Sathyaraj Sir was originally written differently. But when we saw the way he interpreted the character, we felt that his version would translate better on screen,” Ramakumar says. The character was subsequently altered to reflect Sathyaraj’s interpretation of the role.

Finding cinematic emotion

GD Naidu’s life contained drama, conflict and extraordinary events, but the man himself was markedly restrained. Perhaps, the director’s biggest challenge was finding a cinematic language for such a protagonist. “GDN was never someone who openly reacted or displayed his emotions. He was very matter-of-fact and systematic in the way he approached things. Trying to balance the cinematic need for emotion while remaining true to who GDN was, really became a tightrope walk for me,” Ramakumar says.

With the film now complete and headed for theaters, Ramakumar says he is satisfied with where that balancing act ultimately led him. “I am glad I could find a way to achieve that balance. Now that the film is ready, I am very eager to see how people react to it.”