Gods live in the pain and dreams of ordinary people: Mari Selvaraj

Critically acclaimed and commercially successful filmmaker Mari Selvaraj on Sunday (January 18, 2026) said it was not useful to search for gods in places of worship, as they are intertwined with the lives, pain, dreams, and tears of ordinary people. He was speaking at the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall at Lady Andal School, Chetpet, Chennai.

The filmmaker was in conversation with writer Stalin Rajangam during the closing session of The Hindu Lit For Life 2026 on Sunday.

Responding to a question on the use of indigenous myths in his films such as Kattupechi in Karnan, the winged pigs and worship of indigenous gods in Maamannan and other works, posed by writer and historian Stalin Rajangam, Mr. Selvaraj explained why and how he incorporates myths into his cinematic narratives.

“My father used to drive away ghosts in my village. I had no belief in gods but my father would keep talking to gods. He used to work all day and in the night, he would speak to gods in the night. My village was stricken with poverty. When someone came to us seeking help to drive away a ghost, he would start speaking like a ghost or a God. I was confused at the time whether he was an honest man. But, he was an honest, hard working man. I took my art from there,” he said.

However, he added, “I was never a disciplined guy. I would come home very late, sometimes in the middle of night. He would wake up in the night, walk outside the village and break four eggs and come back. Next day, I would be asked not to come late by my mother, and she would tell me that my father said that I came with my sister who passed away [shown in Vaazhai] or my friend who died many years ago. When I started observing my father, I realised that my father was living in another world and that he was questioning injustice, conversing with people, arguing with them. That’s when I realised that gods are closely intertwined with poor people’s lives, in their pain, in their tears. It is a waste of time searching for gods in temples but they are there in their tears, questions, pain, and hard work of ordinary people. The gods that are created by people are more powerful. I can never tell a story without the gods that are ignored in my villages.”

When Mr. Rajangam asked whether he felt the burden of political identities and debates around his politics while making films, Mr. Selvaraj said, “I want to win over those who are against me. Those who didn’t like Pariyerum Perumal, Maamannan, or Karnan today may understand these films ten-fifteen years later. Usually, whenever my films release, I am being placed before my film. My critics often slam me before watching my film. Every time I make a film, my hope is that, through my conflicts, questions, moral rights, tears and my pain, I can win everyone over. The only pressure I feel is only from the Censor Board.”

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