The recently released coming-of-age comedy-drama Dragon has been making waves among critics and audiences alike. Featuring Pradeep Ranganathan, Kayadu Lohar, Anupama Parameswaran, Mysskin, and Indumathy Manikandan, the film is directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, who also plays a role in it. Ashwath recently appeared on IMDb’s Behind The Scenes segment, where he shared insights about the making of the film, his biggest challenges, and the inspirations behind Dragon.
With multiple filmmakers acting in Dragon, Ashwath spoke about the dynamic on set. “Technically, five directors, including me, were part of the film,” he revealed. He explained how directing Mysskin was initially challenging as he restricted improvisation to maintain character integrity. “On the 4th or 5th day, Mysskin sir understood what I was doing and started enjoying the process,” he shared.
Speaking on IMDb Behind The Scenes, Ashwath recalled the toughest part of filming—a wedding sequence that spanned two days and involved 30 key actors and 400-500 extras. “I had to control the entire crowd while capturing the hero’s emotions through a song,” he said, calling it the most challenging yet rewarding experience of making Dragon.
Ashwath admitted that the protagonist’s transformation from a 96% scorer and gold medalist to a mischievous college star mirrors his own engineering student days. “How I faced real life is different, but adolescence affecting one’s career is something I wanted to highlight,” he noted.
A key influence on Dragon was Frank Capra’s classic It’s A Wonderful Life. “The film gave me hope and changed how I saw the world,” Ashwath shared. He ensures that all his films, including Dragon, convey a message of hope.
One of Ashwath’s most cherished moments came from a junior actor wearing a custom-made Dragon T-shirt with “We love you, sir” printed on it. “It showed that they felt part of something special, which is exactly what I aim for in my films,” he said.