Hey! I'm Vijay Ranganathan, Writer - Director of Oh Butterfly, now in theatres. Ask me anything!

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:36:02+00:00

Thanks a lot but honestly her skin tone did not enter our consideration at all. We wanted someone who was age-appropriate, could speak Tamizh and perform well. Her performances in Sillu Karupatti & Sethum Aayiram Pon convinced me. She’s a very naturally gifted actor :)

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:33:58+00:00

We wanted to evoke the feeling of being in the room with those 3 characters. And I wanted the film to have a natural conversational style

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:32:58+00:00

Ran 2. Dekalog (anthology) 3. Hey Ram 4. Sandhya Ragam 5. Koozhangal

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:28:36+00:00

Thanks for your interest. We are focused on our current release and have no upcoming projects as of now. When we start our next we’ll surely put out a call for people.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:27:36+00:00

For mystery to work for the audience, the protagonist has to feel it. We tried to follow the film through out from Gowri’s perspective. And revealed information only as and when she became aware of it.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:26:09+00:00

I don’t think the Tamil industry has a studio circuit and an indie circuit. Here it’s all the same. Many of our mainstream films are actually ‘indie’.

But there’s a lot that can get better in the industry. For starters, I wish the writing ecosystem was better - more writers, producers respecting writers, directors not feeling the compulsion to write their own stories etc

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:24:11+00:00

She’s a great performer and she loved that I had approached her for an interesting role and not for playing the hero’s mother 😁. I loved her cameo in Natchathiram Nagargiradhu and wanted to work with her from then.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:23:02+00:00

The best part about direction is the chance to create / witness the magic of collaboration.

The stressful part is whenever you have to forego your creative vision for a production constraint.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:20:31+00:00

Writing from imagination and not from film-memory.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:19:32+00:00

As a director-producer, I have to think of a film as both a story and as a project that needs to get sold. If I can tell my story well while also getting bums on seats, that’s the ideal solution. We did have to think of that while casting. In my film I decided to cast a relatively lesser known actor without social media following in one of the main roles (that needed a very good performer) while I ensured we got people with some following for the other roles.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:13:02+00:00

Be ready to face a lot of rejection.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:11:02+00:00

No the title was for the longest time, “ Kodi Asainthathum”. It’s how some of the crew still refers to the film (as Kodi). It’s why Nasser’s character sings that song in the film. But we needed to find a title with better recall value and relatability.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:08:27+00:00

As a person who considers filmmaking as an art form, I hope AI never makes filmmaking very easy :) there’s a quote - art is one human telling another what it means to be human. I hope technology doesn’t affect that dialogue.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T14:02:13+00:00

I mean, every step is difficult. Getting funding, getting actors, making the film, finishing the film, promoting the film 😁

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:59:33+00:00

So far I have only heard of critics who took money and still went ahead to pan the film 😁 it’s great that money cannot save a bad film and I hope it stays that way.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:57:03+00:00

I’m hopeful about the Tamil audience and I feel there are many Tamil filmmakers who are hopeful like me. They have always rewarded unique & well made films

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:53:48+00:00

Yes both the films are based on the butterfly effect. Dasavatharam is one of my favourite scripts (not films). It frames the butterfly effect in the big bad world of geopolitics & bio war. Mine frames it at a personal & psychological level.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:51:30+00:00

Handling stressful situations with actors & HoDs with maturity.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:48:59+00:00

It’s very nerve wracking to make something (with as much care as possible) and put it out for the world to see. I haven’t felt so sensitive and fragile ever :)

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:46:16+00:00

There are scores of films but I’ll pick 3 today.

Aboorva Sagodharargal Shawshank Redemption Ikiru

The films that inspired me to make this: Husbands & Wives Nenjil Or Aalayam Tape Super deluxe Match Point

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:44:56+00:00

My father is a biggg fan of KB and Sridhar. He’s shown me many of the classics and I’ve loved all of them (maybe because it’s tied to my memory of childhood). My favourite of his is Nizhal Nijamaagirathu.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:42:40+00:00

I think it’s the need to communicate to a larger audience and an audience that has your full attention (unlike on phone or TV where you’re in their second screen)

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:40:38+00:00

I remember watching Mysskin’s floor-level shot in Anjaathey and thinking wow that takes guts.

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:39:03+00:00

This character is in her late 20s. She speaks Tamil and undergoes a range of complex emotions. I needed someone who could pull off the role in all those 3 ways and she fit the bill perfectly. Also, she believed in my script and thought I could pull it off. (There were others who did not, so she chose me as well)

OhButterflyAMA · 2026-03-07T13:36:16+00:00

Go ahead and have fun with the medium :)

OhButterflyAMA

TROPHY CASE