Interview with The Family Man writer Suman Kumar: ‘Writers are silent heroes; write their names on the poster’

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Filmmaker Suman Kumar, who rose to fame for co-writing the Hindi web series Guns N Roses, Farzi and The Family Man, recently turned to direction with Raghu Thatha starring Keerthy Suresh. He is now a far cry from the ‘poor and sad’ Suman, who started out with stand-up comedy in his 30s before evolving into writing with noted filmmaker duo Raj and DK. (Also Read: Manoj Bajpayee reveals if there will be any crossover between his The Family Man 3 and Shahid Kapoor’s Farzi 2)

Suman Kumar with Keerthy Suresh, Manoj Bajpayee, Raj and DK.
Suman Kumar with Keerthy Suresh, Manoj Bajpayee, Raj and DK.

“Telling stories has always been my forte,” Suman told Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview. “Making strangers laugh is one of the toughest things in the world. But in 2015, when I was broke and depressed, I thought, why not do it, and went to an open mic in Bengaluru that changed my life. Of course, when I got busy with series and films, stand-up comedy took a backseat,” he added.

‘Keerthi impressed me with her performance’

When Suman wrote his first directorial venture Raghu Thatha, he had no one in mind for the lead role — a feminist who writes stories under a male pseudonym. But when Hombale Films (KGF, Kantara, Salaar) optioned the Tamil film, he felt Keerthy would be perfect for the role of Kayalvizhi Pandian aka Kayal. “The makers knew the film needed a big star for the role and they thought of Keerthy,” he says.

But Suman was very happy with the casting as he loved Keerthy’s performance in Saani Kaayidham (2022). “She made her mark as a commercial film heroine and acted in a revenge drama, which surprised me. My film is a comedy, but I knew she could pull it off well. I didn’t even have to brief her as she had prepared well for the role of Kayal,” says the filmmaker.

And now, Suman is gearing up for his second directorial venture – a Kannada film titled Kiriket 11. “Manojkumar Kalaivanan has written the story, and we are currently polishing it. It’s a crime-comedy based on a fun premise. We will resume shooting soon,” he says about the film starring Danish Sait and Naveen Shankar. Not just that, Suman is also writing a few feature film stories, including an action drama that will have a woman in the lead role.

He is also excited for Season 3 of The Family Man. Suman says, “Right now I am in the middle of the schedule of the next season of The Family Man. This time, I am also directing a few episodes. I am excited to work with the legend Manoj Bajpayee and my friends Raj and DK in a completely different way this season. I am looking forward to the next schedule.”

‘Writing is not a stepping stone to directing’

But despite the synergy between writing and directing, Suman insists that the two are completely different skills. “Writers are getting more attention because of the OTT boom, but we need them more. There is a misconception that screenwriting is a literary pursuit, which it is not. It is an invitation for artistes and technicians to come and perform, it is very technical. Most people see it as a stepping stone to direction, but writing requires a completely different skill set,” he says.

Suman also believes that with the way Indian cinema is progressing and gaining recognition globally, it is time that writers are paid more and given the respect they deserve. “Put their name on the poster,” he says, echoing the sentiments of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar in the recently released Prime Video docu-series Angry Young Men.

Suman said, “Writers should be paid more, they should be respected more. They are the silent heroes. We are still in this zone – first star, then content – and that needs to change if we want to do better. We can’t go on floors just because an actor has free dates without a proper story.”

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