AI disclosure statement: Otter.ai was used to transcribe the interview.
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From struggling to convince his father, a former actor, of letting him pursue his passion for filmmaking to now co-directing a five-year project that has been selected to screen at the seventh annual Toronto Tamil Film Festival, Viyasan Thiruvananthaselvan has come a long way.
In a conversation with OTR, Thiruvananthaselvan reflected on Tainted Silence’s creation, his journey as a filmmaker and what it means to pursue an unconventional path as a Tamil Canadian child of refugees.
How did your idea for Tainted Silence come about?
Tainted Silence was one of those films where I thought was [in] a genre that no one touched on before at least within our [Tamil] community. You often see a lot of comedy skits, drama stories and romance, but very rarely do you see any of them touch a dark action genre, and if they do, it’s very difficult to pull off in my personal belief. I still think we did. We pulled it off [to the point where] it looked really well done, but our goal was to create something that no one in our community has seen before and to show that nothing is impossible as long as you are willing to put in the time and effort.
You said it took five years to bring this film to life. Why?
The phases of the COVID[-19] pandemic … delayed production. Then, at some point, it was also working with [people’s] availability because a lot of our cast and crew [had full time jobs]. So, to tell them to take breaks from that to do this, it was not right. Then, [it was] also a lot of production issues as well. [The] music was a big one as well because we had one guy that was on board, but because we were taking too long, he was already working as an independent artist [and] we had to find someone else. [On top of this, I had to] handle school, my application to the military, and Lojan, [the other co-director, was] working as well.
I’m glad that we still pushed through because there have been many points where I thought I should just give up on this project…because of the amount of people that said this project is not going to come out [and that] it [was] a waste of time.
What has your experience been like pursuing filmmaking and a career in the military as a Tamil Canadian?
If I’m being quite honest, it was definitely very hard. I think my parents definitely went through a lot to raise [my siblings and I]. They came here for a better life.
My dad was an actor… [Telling him I wanted to pursue acting] was a difficult conversation for sure. Despite constant back and forth conversations, he’s always looked out for our best interests. I think his main priority [was] that he [did not] want to see his own son struggle the way he did and I don’t blame him. I think a parent always wants to make sure their child doesn’t suffer the same way they suffered.
I remember the constant arguments, one being the whole acting stuff and the other [was the] whole soldier pathway. [In one,] you might not be able to make money, [but in the other,] you might lose your life. I definitely had a lot of doubts and conflicts about where I was going, but eventually, I just stuck with it. I don’t personally regret it, but I definitely do wish I can pursue it long enough to see something that I desire come to life.
You’re currently working in the military, but you’re also pursuing this creative path. How are you able to manage both?
It’s definitely very hard. I started training back in September, but I was sworn in around May of that same year, in 2025, so it’s already been over a year since I joined. I think the biggest thing has been the culture shock. The military is very different from the civilian world, so adjusting to that while also maintaining the life I was used to has been tricky. On top of that, there’s the challenge of managing stress and still being able to do my job under pressure.
At the same time, I’ve had to miss opportunities in my own field, especially acting and filmmaking, which has been difficult. But I don’t regret my decision. I was raised to believe that there is good in this world, and I believe in protecting those who can’t protect themselves. I also believe the army is helping me grow into the person I want to be.
I’m still figuring out how to balance them, but I think I’m finding a good rhythm.
What’s your dream as a filmmaker?
My dream as a filmmaker and actor is to create films that can be enjoyed by both Western and South Asian audiences. I feel like South Asian films sometimes get a bad reputation among Western audiences, where people assume they’re all over the top action entertainers, but there are so many beautiful films that tell meaningful and compelling stories.
One day, I hope to create a film, potentially within the action genre, that can bridge those two audiences and be enjoyed by both. I’d love to see Tamil cinema reach a much bigger scale than where it is today, and hopefully be part of making that happen.
What is something you hope people take away from your story?
I think the biggest thing I want people to take away from my story is that nothing is impossible. The journey, especially in filmmaking and acting, is difficult, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on your dreams because they seem out of reach. More importantly, don’t lose yourself in the process. You can work toward your dreams while staying true to your morals, values and who you are. It might take longer than you expect, but that doesn’t make it any less possible.
Reporter, OTR, F2026.
Reporter, OTR, F2026.
