Ajith Sir Came Up With The Idea of The Moonwalk: Thunivu Director H Vinoth

The trailer of Thunivu gave us two hints about the film’s plot: it was that Ajith plays a negative character and that it was a heist film. But those who have watched the movie would know that both are half-truths. While Ajith is a menacing gangster in the film, he has a moral backstory for robbing the bank. Similarly, although the film unfolds as a heist in the bank, it is not your typical caper film. So, what genre does one fit Thunivu into? Director H Vinoth thinks it would fit under what he calls a ‘reverse-heist’ genre. Krishna sits down with the director to speak about the film post its release.

Spoilers Ahead...

The director says, “Based on the trailer, Thunivu was constantly compared to films such as Oceans Eleven and Money Heist. However, we were all very clear that Thunivu was not anything like the films it was being compared to. Today, many are saying that the film was very different from what they had in mind. Ajith sir has also acted in a jolly fashion. All we have done is place certain clues about the film in the trailer. The fact that we kept all this information under wraps was a planned decision.”

Fans might have enjoyed Ajith’s dance moves in the film, especially his version of pop king Michael Jackson’s moonwalk. Ajith’s character also goes on to deceive the police by communicating in Jackson’s voice using a transmitter. The filmmaker reveals that this detail was improvised on the set. “I had somebody else in mind while writing the script, but we felt it would become an issue if I used their name. So, someone came up with the suggestion of Michael Jackson. It was either Ajith sir, Nirav sir (cinematographer) or Kalyan master (choreographer),” notes the director. 

He further adds that Ajith enjoyed being on the sets and really liked the dance portions of the film. “We were also surprised when Ajith sir did the moonwalk portion. Kalyan master shot the entire dance sequences in just three hours. Ajith sir has a lot of knowledge when it comes to pop songs that came out in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Whenever we think of Michael Jackson, we immediately associate him with his stylish moonwalk, so Ajith sir suggested we do it,” H Vinoth says. 

The entire film sees Ajith and his partner Kanmani (Manju Warrier) go guns blazing, escaping many near-death scenarios. Speaking about the film’s climax, which features the duo escaping death in a dramatic fashion, Vinoth reveals that they had another alternative climax in mind. After dodging multiple bullets and nearly drowning, the duo manages to swim back to life. “Initially, we had two climaxes planned. One was where they both died in the water, and another (which they ended up using in the film) was where they both escape and reach international waters. We felt that this was a hero’s story, a hero who had a lot of guts in him. So, we thought it would be better if he escaped. We wanted to end the film on a positive note,” he concludes.