‘Aatti’ speaks about women’s courage and their fight for justice: Isakki Karvannan

‘Aatti’ focuses on fearless women who punish injustice

“Whether Vijay follows that dialogue or not, I follow it,” says producer-actor Isakki Karvannan

“I’m a Kamal fan… I’ve watched only one Rajinikanth film,” says Isakki Karvannan in a candid interview

“Movies that preach messages rarely succeed,” says Isakki Karvannan

“I pointed out Seeman’s mistakes directly to his face and walked away,” says Isakki Karvannan about his political journey.

Director Isakki Karvannan, who earned appreciation from both audiences and critics for films such as Pettikadai, Tamil Kudimagan, and Paramasivan Fathima, has now produced Aatti under the banner of Lakshmi Creations. Having also established himself as an actor, Isakki plays the lead role in the film as a police officer.

The film stars Ayali fame Abi Natchathira as the heroine, alongside Kadhal Sukumar, Soundar, Praveen Palanisamy, and several others in important roles.

Built around the idea that “women are the foremost figures in our community,” the film explores how women in ancient Tamil society fought for their rights, overcame challenges, faced sexual harassment, and dealt with such issues.

Produced by V House Productions of Suresh Kamatchi, Aatti is set for release across Tamil Nadu on June 12. Ahead of its release, Isakki Karvannan spoke openly about the film and his journeys through cinema, politics, and business.

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From Village Life to Cinema

> “My journey to Mumbai was almost like a movie story where an entire village gathers in a panchayat and sends a man away. It was in Mumbai that I developed a strong reading habit and began writing stories. Eventually, instead of merely writing stories, I wanted to turn them into films. Before I could enter cinema, circumstances pushed me into becoming a businessman.”

He says he has successfully run a logistics company employing more than a hundred people, directly and indirectly, for over 25 years.

> “I came to Chennai wanting to become a director. To learn cinema, I first became a producer and made Mudhal Kanave. I even went to the Directors’ Association seeking a director for the project. Perhaps I’m the only person in world cinema to have conducted such a director hunt.”

He also revealed that actress Honey Rose made her debut as a heroine in that film.

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Learning Cost Him Four Films and ₹10 Crore

After producing Athey Neram Athey Idam starring Jai, Isakki learned direction and went on to produce and direct Pagiri, Pettikadai, Tamil Kudimagan, and Paramasivan Fathima.

> “Only now have I learned to separate cinema from public life. My first four films were made with the intention of delivering social messages. But cinema is essentially entertainment. Since the black-and-white era, message-driven films have rarely become major successes. It took me four films and nearly ₹10 crore to learn that lesson.”

He added that audiences first look at who the hero is, regardless of a film’s quality.

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Criticism of Theatre Distribution

Isakki expressed concern over the difficulties faced by small films in securing theatre screens.

> “Anyone from cinema can enter politics, but politicians should not enter cinema with the intention of making money. That’s when power misuse begins in theatre distribution.”

He cited his experience with Tamil Kudimagan, saying that despite the absence of major competing releases, his film failed to secure enough screens because a dubbed Hindi film was given over 75% of the available theatres.

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“I’m a Kamal Fan”

Speaking about audience choice, he said:

> “I personally enjoy Kamal Haasan’s films. But I have watched only one Rajinikanth film, Thanikattu Raja. I haven’t watched any of his other films after that. People should have choices. If audiences are not given alternatives, they will only watch what is available.”

According to him, this lack of choice has contributed to declining theatre attendance.

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Frustration During Tamil Kudimagan

Isakki also expressed disappointment regarding director-actor Cheran during the making of Tamil Kudimagan.

> “We invited Cheran as an actor, but he came with the mindset of a director. The story’s direction changed because of that, which disappointed me. He neither functioned fully as a director nor purely as an actor.”

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Delays Faced by Aatti

The release of Aatti was postponed twice due to a lack of theatre availability.

> “Initially, we changed the date because of releases like Kantara 2 and Bison. Later, because Karuppu and Blast occupied many theatres, we had to postpone again by a week.”

He noted that while everyone stands together during a film’s launch, producers are often left alone to bear the financial burden when it comes time for release.

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Rising Actor Salaries

According to Isakki, actor salaries have become a major challenge.

> “People enter cinema with passion, but once they achieve success, the focus shifts to earning money. Hero salaries increase, and then supporting actors raise their fees too. Producers who are also actors, like Vishal, Suriya, and Sivakarthikeyan, understand this pain very well.”

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Views on Tamil Nationalism and Politics

He argued that Tamil nationalist cinema has largely been absent from Tamil cinema because audiences have not shown strong support for such films.

Discussing his political journey, he said:

> “I worked with Seeman in the Naam Tamilar Party. He is extraordinarily talented but lacks trust in others. That is why he hasn’t been able to win. I openly disagreed with him and told him so directly before leaving. I was among those who strongly supported him in the early days because I believed that if Seeman failed, Tamil nationalism itself would appear to have failed.”

He admitted that his political involvement after 2009 cost him financially and personally.

> “I lost family time and financial stability because of politics. That anger is still within me.”

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On Vijay’s Entry into Politics

Commenting on actor Vijay, Isakki said:

> “Vijay has only been in politics for about two years and has no prior political experience. But because everyone united against him, people who wanted change began to feel sympathy toward him.”