Inside Bison: Mari Selvaraj's Quest for Authentic Kabaddi Cinema | THR On Set

Acclaimed director Mari Selvaraj opens up about his ambitious sports drama "Bison," revealing the extraordinary lengths taken to achieve authenticity in portraying Kabaddi on screen. In this exclusive behind-the-scenes conversation, Selvaraj discusses his decision to have lead actor Dhruv undergo two years of intensive Kabaddi training, working alongside real professional players from across the country. The director emphasizes his commitment to showing the sport's raw, unfiltered essence rather than the staged versions typically seen in cinema, drawing from his own childhood experiences playing Kabaddi in rural Tamil Nadu.

The interview delves into Selvaraj's unique filmmaking philosophy, where he prioritizes emotional truth over technical perfection, often discovering his shots organically on location rather than pre-planning them. Dhruv shares his transformative journey from actor to genuine Kabaddi player, describing how the grueling physical preparation and 24-hour shooting schedules became a way of life. The conversation also explores themes of rural heroism, the challenges of bringing authentic stories to mainstream cinema, and Selvaraj's responsibility as a filmmaker to create content he can proudly share with his own family.