In his 13-year film career, one of the criticisms that writer-director Su Ni has often been subjected to is that his movies show promise but never quite stick the landing. With Moda Kavida Vaatavarana, Su Ni says he has tried something novel that he hopes will break this curse of the second half. The film stars newcomer Sheelam M Swamy, along with Moksha Kushal and Saathvika and releases on June 26, 2026. Su Ni caught up with The Cinema Post for a quick chat after uploading his film for the theatrical release. Here are excerpts from the conversation…
One of the biggest complaints about your school of filmmaking is that your films never quite live up to the initial promise and falter along the way. Netizens have dubbed you a ‘lazy writer’, among others. Have you been paying attention to this discourse on social media?
I get to know a film’s fate only on its first Friday. Until then, it’s a product that undergoes multiple revisions based on the feedback that I receive from the team and other focus groups that I show the film to. I would have removed a lot of elements that didn’t work for this audience by the time it hits theatres. For instance, in Gatha Vaibhava, one of the main complaints was that the Devaloka portions didn’t click for audiences. Before the final VFX shots were incorporated, those who’d seen the raw footage were quite happy with how it had turned out. Everything changed when the film came to theatres. I have also been told that the second half of Gatha Vaibhava was its undoing, but I consider it my career best.
Sheelam and Moksha Kushal in Moda Kavida Vaatavarana
Throughout my career, I have tried to do something fresh with each of my films and Moda Kavida Vaatavarana is the next step in that direction. I have always done the best according to my ability. I cannot use my learnings from my earlier films and implement it in my next in the hope of finding success.
What do you think audiences are looking for in films?
Honestly, that is a difficult question to answer now. Strong content is the only way forward. Audiences have an abundance of content options on OTT platforms, so they will make that effort to come to theatres only if it is the very best out there. One thing I have realized is that our audiences are not open to slow-burner subjects, unlike Malayalam. For instance, a film like Eko would have never worked in Kannada.
Today, there is no formula that will give you a guaranteed minimum return. In fact, you will soon notice that there’s been a massive drop in the number of new films being launched. The only way out is if we deliver a few back-to-back hits and encourage audiences to come back to theatres. If my film does not satisfy a viewer, even if the next one is much better, he will not turn up for it. We cannot afford to disappoint audiences.
The question then is, how do you satisfy your viewers? There is no concrete answer for that. Most of us in the film industry are here with the intention of making good films that work at the box office.
Moda Kavida Vaatavarana, like most of your other films, is a love story…
Yes, at first glance that is the impression that audiences get, but we have tried something different in the second half. There is a change of genre, which, I believe will be the highlight of the film. We had a premiere in Singapore and the response from there is that the twist in the second half was unexpected but landed well. If we get the same feedback here too, the film will succeed at the box office.
