Ken Royson; A still from ‘Mannaru’
Updated on:Â 11 Aug 2026, 10:13 am
Director Ken Royson has lost count of the music videos he has worked on. The latest to join that list is ‘Mannaru,’ composed by Santhosh Narayanan and performed by Mannar Muthu. The song is out on Santhosh’s indie music label Rakita Entertainment. Sharing his joy about working with Santhosh, Ken says, “I have already worked with Santhosh sir in creating promos for Retro and Jigarthanda. During those sessions, he told me about the idea of ‘Mannaru,’ and I jumped at the opportunity. Our association goes a very long way. I am happy to be a part of his label’s first song.”
Despite having done a lot of music videos, Ken candidly admits that he can never outgrow this format. “The indie music video space is a vast ocean with developments every second. I am excited about what all will come my way in the future,” says Ken, pointing out that even music videos allow creative drive to work on overdrive. “I would, in fact, say three minutes is a lot of time to convey a strong message and tell a story. So I have no qualms in saying creating music videos should not be undervalued in comparison to films.”
His ‘Mannaru‘ falls under the powerful genre of gaana, which helps convey the solid message about North Chennai’s working-class people. But the genre has long been viewed with a pinch of salt for its ‘gang life’ sub-genre. However, Ken believes this doesn’t reduce the beauty of the genre in any way. “I understand the depth of gaana and its beauty. I honestly don’t think gaana can be reduced to just its ‘gang life’ sub-genre,” says Ken, who doesn’t shy away from pointing out that the ‘gang life’ sub-genre has artistic value. “Yeah, there are no second thoughts that the songs praising the coolness of being a gangster send a very wrong message. That said, the vocals and sounds are enjoyable. But I feel gaana shouldn’t be boxed into that. When gaana gets the reach and space it deserves, I feel ‘gang life’ songs would ebb out.”
Ken, over the years, has consistently been part of viral indie hits. Out on the roads or inside the sets, his visuals infuse life into the songs. The creative choices, he says, are made after the songs ‘talk’ to him. “Songs tell me what they need. Some require well-lit sets, and others bustling roads. So once my communication with a song is over, I bounce ideas with the artistes and creators and come up with a plan,” he says, as he goes on to share that ‘Mannaru‘Â demanded that he shoot under the scorching sun. “The exact words the song communicated to me once I listened to it were ‘Suda Suda Veyyil‘. And philosophically speaking, I also understood I needed to showcase the everyday hustle of the working class in North Chennai as montages,” says Ken, adding, “Apart from being aesthetically pleasing, we wanted to show what and who needed light. The singers are shown in black and white as they transfer their light to the hard-working fishermen, painters, and other daily wagers.”
Working on his first feature film starring Kavin, Ken says that no matter what, he is not leaving the indie space. “Directing music videos is a liberating experience for me, and it gives me unlimited creative freedom. I am not leaving this no matter what. Even if I do big in the feature space, you can still see me directing indie music videos ranging from Rs 1 lakh to 1 crore,” he says, expressing his love for the indie space, and sharing an update about his next before signing off. “We are planning to release the Kavin film later this year. We have reached the final phase, and you can expect updates from the film regularly in a week’s time.”
