Sardar 2 director PS Mithran on sequels, spies, and scaling up

Ahead of the September 10 release of Sardar 2, director PS Mithran says the sequel to his 2022 spy thriller stems from a conviction that great follow-ups are built on character continuity. Citing Terminator 2 as a personal favourite, he notes that the emotional arcs of Sarah and John Connor gave that film its depth. He applies the same logic to franchises like Avatar and Rocky Balboa.

The idea for a sequel first struck Mithran during the shooting of a prison sequence in the original Sardar. The titular character, he felt, had untapped potential. However, it was only on a flight back to Chennai with actor Karthi after the film's release that the conversation turned serious, and the storyline began to take shape.

Mithran admits to taking a break from the material after feeling exhausted, even developing three other scripts in the interim. The project gained momentum once he cracked the antagonist's character for actor SJ Suryah. Known for his histrionic style, Suryah's performance in Sardar 2 will reportedly offer both a subtle and a quintessential version of the actor, tailored to the script.

The director also reflects on working with actors who are themselves drawn to filmmaking, including Karthi, Vishal, and Arjun. He describes such collaborations as empathetic and highly cooperative, where artistic goals are often understood without lengthy explanations.

Addressing the trend of long trailers that reveal significant plot points, Mithran argues that in the age of social media, preserving a single twist is less viable. He believes in selling the story itself, a promotional strategy he observes in Hollywood, where trailers often outline the beginning, middle, and end.

Drawing a parallel between Sardar and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, Mithran explains his fascination with the humanity of superheroes. For him, spies are the real-life equivalent—silent watchers who save people without theatrics or capes. He traces the ending of Sardar back to his own Irumbu Thirai, which was itself inspired by Mad Max's theme of the unsung hero.

Having received a mixed response to the first film, Mithran acknowledges the challenge of catering to a wide audience. He notes that different demographics had different issues with pacing and narrative, a balancing act he kept in mind for the sequel.

While the original film grounded its spy craft in realistic, visible elements like railway tickets, Sardar 2 will scale up with some larger-than-life ideas. Mithran also clarifies that he does not set out to make 'socially responsible' films, though themes may organically weave into his stories. He cites John Perkins's Confessions of an Economic Hit Man as an inspiration, and hints that Sardar 2 contains a similar socio-political thread.

Currently, Mithran is in talks for his next project, which he confirms will not be another spy thriller.