Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 11 : Director Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy and actor Siddharth Menon opened up about their upcoming film 'Max, Min and Meowzaki', describing it as a story that explores generational differences, emotional healing, forgiveness and evolving family relationships.
Speaking to ANI, director Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy said the film reflects the realities of modern life and focuses on the emotional struggles of people across generations.
"This is a story of today, a story of this era. It's about the youth and the misunderstandings in thoughts, the gaps and different belief systems between the youth and the older generations. It's also about evolving relationships and changing family dynamics," he said.
Written and directed by Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy, 'Max, Min and Meowzaki' stars Siddharth Menon, Medha Shankr, Adil Hussain, Mandira Bedi, Nasser, Nafisa Ali and Vidhatri Bandi.
The film follows Max and Min, a young couple whose relationship begins to unravel just when life demands they hold on a little tighter. Even after Min walks away, Max continues to navigate the emptiness she leaves behind, finding unexpected comfort in Meowzaki (seemingly named after Hayao Miyazaki), the cat they once raised together.
The filmmaker said the story acknowledges the emotional wounds people carry and highlights the importance of empathy and forgiveness.
"In all of us, somewhere or the other, there is a wound. This film understands individual human fallibilities, wounds, vulnerabilities and flaws. It's a film about forgiveness, which is very essential for this era. We don't think enough about each other's mental health or emotional well-being. It's a film that makes you ask, 'How are you?'" he said.
Explaining the central theme, Padmakumar said the film does not portray relationships in black and white.
"Sometimes a boy leaves a girl, sometimes a girl leaves a boy, or there is friction between them. Nobody is 100 per cent right or 100 per cent wrong. Things are messy. Even if we can't completely understand each other, how can we forgive each other? That's what this film is about," he added.
The director also rejected the idea of writing films for either festivals or commercial success.
"People feel festival films and commercial films are different, but I can never think like that. When we write, we don't write for festivals or commercial cinema. We simply write a story. Writing with a formula doesn't give me the same emotional reward," he said.
Actor Siddharth Menon said he believes stories choose actors rather than the other way around.
"I believe I don't say yes, the story says yes to me. Many times I have said yes and the other person said no. Sometimes both sides agreed, but the film was never made. There have also been times when I said no but still became part of a film. I am very happy that this film chose me," he shared.
The actor said he looks for stories that allow him to fully immerse himself in the world being created.
"I've been working in films for 15 years now. Something should be felt inside. Every phase of life is a different genre. Sometimes we are living a comedy, sometimes a tragedy. When a script encourages you to experience that completely, half the work is already done," he said.
Describing his approach to the film, Menon said he embraced the natural flow of the story instead of trying to control it.
"I did nothing. I was just there, standing, surrendered, and everyone did the same. Adil sir, Nafisa ma'am, Nasir sir, my co-actors, we all just flowed with the story. I've decided not to plan too much in life because whenever I've made too many plans, life has had different plans," he said.
Menon also recalled enjoying the experience of working alongside the film's feline co-star.
"Shooting with a cat was quite a unique experience. Our cat, Radha, was so professional. Whatever she was told, she would do. Before this film I was more of a dog person, but after this film, I like cats extremely much," he said.
Calling 'Max, Min and Meowzaki' a film for audiences of all ages, Menon said he hopes families watch it together.
"The special thing about this film is that the whole family can watch it. I don't know how many theatres are pet-friendly, but if they are, you can even bring your cats and dogs. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone's story is in this. I am very confident that if families watch it together, the conversations that should happen at home will begin and misunderstandings will start getting cleared," he added.
The film is set to hit theatres on July 24.