Editor Vijay Velukutty traces his journey from a rejected assistant director to a sought-after editor, revealing how a short course led him to fall in love with editing and learn multiple languages under mentor Suresh URS. He discusses shaping Sardar 2 as both prequel and sequel, crafting a fresh edit rooted in universal emotions and character-driven storytelling.
When Vijay Velukutty first tried to become an assistant director, as a means to an end to direct his own film one day, he was sent away because he did not have any skills. For this, he joined a one-month course — just for the certificate — but ended up falling in love with editing in the process.
He then went on to assist editor Suresh Urs in over 80 films across languages; not only did this trial by fire teach him the tools of editing, but he also learnt Kannada, Hindi, Oriya and Bengali too as a result, in just five years.
But most importantly, it taught him that “emotions are universal and have no language.” A day before the release of Sardar 2, THR India spoke to the editor to understand his process.
Edited excerpts from the conversation:
You did not edit the first Sardar (2022), but you were chosen to edit its sequel. How does that affect your edit?
I watched the first film and I remember really enjoying it. It’s the perfect balance of real information that’s packed with entertainment. But Sardar 2 is different. When the director narrated the script to me, I realised that it’s a mix of ‘infotainment’ and a solid character-driven story. It is both a prequel as well as a sequel, and begins with the titular character preparing himself for his very first mission. How he goes through it and the trauma he’s left with after forms an important part. From this, you can make out that I was free to approach Sardar 2 with a fresh editing pattern.
How would you describe the film’s director PS Mithran?
He now has this label of being a message movie director, but that’s not something he set out to achieve. He has a special love for character-driven stories and wants to balance that with a solid cinematic experience. Even his idea of a mass scene has to develop organically. For Sardar 2, we have worked extensively on the film’s screenplay structure, even on the edit table after the shoot. Both he, the film’s writer, and I kept reworking, to the point where I joke that I’ve become an uncredited dialogue writer in the film!
You have worked with others filmmakers like Adhik Ravichandran and H Vinoth on multiple films...
I see some similarities between Mithran and Vinoth sir, especially because they’re both socially-conscious and want their films to talk about serious matters. But Vinoth is interested in the space between what is true and what’s a lie. He wants to show you what we think is the truth and then show you the reality right after. How the lead character deals with this debate is what he enjoys exploring.
How about Adhik?
He’s, of course, the opposite. He wants to play to the gallery, right from the very first scene. He keeps saying that he wants his audience to feel like they’re attending a concert. I have worked on two films with him; one that is screenplay-driven like Mark Anthony, and Good Bad Ugly which was a proper star vehicle. For the layman, they consider me a ‘real’ editor only when I tell them I edited Mark Anthony!
What is a must-have quality for an editor of big commercial films?
Life observation. A commercial Tamil film must reach all audiences. So as someone who observes life, you should know what everyone in the family watches and what they cannot handle. Even a hardcore fan of a star is a part of this family. You should know what they want to see from their star... and when we are pushing it a tad too much.
Is there a genre of films you would love to do more of?
Back when I was working as an assistant, I used to be the action and song sequence specialist. I have worked with a 100 fight masters and just as many dance choreographers. But, to be honest, my favourite genre is romance. I genuinely crave the edit of a solid romance… this interview is my way of asking for one.
How do you describe a film that you believe is well-edited?
It’s about how you manage to control the audience’s emotion. A big commercial film deals with so many emotions, that you shouldn’t let the audience feel a jerk. How fast you can bring them into a movie and then how long you can hold them there is the point of a good edit. It should make you feel like you’re looking through the window as though the scene in happening right in front of you…
Can you name a film that made you feel that?
96.
Finally, you are working on Dare Devil, your fourth film with Ajith. Have you heard the script already?
The script is ready but I haven’t heard it fully yet. From what I’ve heard so far, the only thing I can confirm is that it’s a proper mix of a tight screenplay like that of Mark Anthony’s and a set of solid scenes that will play to the gallery.
It’s also a very special movie for me because my life changed after I worked on Ajith’s sir Valimai. Until then it was all a struggle, both personally and financially. I recovered because of his films. Now that he’s also the producer of Dare Devil, it doesn’t feel like work for me. It is personal and I feel that it’s my duty as a family member. I’m not working for the money.