#Masterclass: Pa Ranjith on his five favourite films

After making his debut with Attakathi, in 2012, Pa Ranjith has turned into a director who has something substantial to say with films like Madras, Kabali and Kaala. Listing out his five favourite films, Ranjith says, "For me, art is a tool of social responsibility, so the filmmaking is secondary; the content should push a viewer towards social awareness. After all, we are making movies for humans."
Parasakthi, 1952
Dir: Krishnan-Panju

I saw this film when I was in my 12th standard.I didn't know about script structure or anything then. But I connected to the content — social issues and women rights. It created a big awareness in me and motivated me to pursue this path. This film is still politically alive.
Uthiri Pookkal, 1979
Dir: J Mahendran

While this is inspired from Pudhumai Pithan's Sittrannai novel, it brought in a new structure to Tamil cinema. It was progressive and had a unique filmmaking style. There was no hero or villain, but only characters. The climax is a stunner. The central character is an evil man, but in the climax, he remarks that while he has turned good, all the "good" people have gone bad. This is a film that is the best in all aspects. And we are yet to find anyone who has come close to Mahendran's filmmaking style. Frankly, no one can. It is an important film to me because it was a big lesson that showed me how to use character.
Do The Right Thing, 1989
Dir: Spike Lee

Spike Lee's films make me question things. Almost 95% of his films are on black culture, and they break stereotypes, and use black women as heroines. This film revolves around a pizza shop. Blacks are the ones giving it its business, but its walls are adorned with white celebs. A black man questions that and it ends in violence. And with it, Spike Lee showed that comedy drama can be politically charged.
City Of God, 2002
Dir: Fernando Meirelles

I saw this film when I was in College of Arts. The way the director captures the lives of the characters, the truth in the characters, and the characterisation... they all haunted me. There are characters in the dozens and yet, each one has an arc. It is very difficult to do that. And it is structurally very different. I feel it is this century's most important film.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), 2014
Dir: Alejandro G Iñárritu

Innaritu is my most favourite filmmaker. From Amores Perros, his films have captured thunbiyal like nothing else. The magical realism in Birdman gave me the effect of reading Marquez's novels. The unedited feel in the visuals, the use of drums as the dominant background score, the minimal characters, and the way it is shot... they are all so inspiring. It perfectly captures the mental state of an artiste. It is Innaritu's masterpiece.