Mari Selvaraj shares a heart-warming story about how his mother-in-law gave him support for his marriage before he became a director - EXCLUSIVE

Filmmaker Mari Selvaraj's latest film, Maamannan, starring Udhayanidhi Stalin, Vadivelu, Fahadh Faasil, and Keerthy Suresh and featuring music by Academy Award-winning composer A. R. Rahman has turned out to be a big success and is yet another feather in the cap for the Red Giant Movies banner. With the political thriller film going strong in cinemas, Mari Selvaraj recently took part in a special fans festival organized by Galatta Media, which also saw his wife Divya Mari grace the grand occasion, with the couple revealing how they got married. 

Speaking about his marriage to Divya, Mari Selvaraj said, "It's a big event in my life because we both are from different castes. We realized we were in love and when it came to moving next to marriage, each of our parents are living in different places. I had big plans for the marriage and wanted it to be done properly. In fact, many around me had told me that it wasn't going to be possible. At that point, I felt the right thing to do would be to tell her mother and told her to convey the same. Her mother is forward and she gave her and her sister a lot of freedom while raising them. She then told her that I'm an assistant director and shared the links to my works, and she read my stories and poems, and we then met. When I went to their house for the first time, I felt that there was a lot of freedom. I then realized that we can move this to the next stage and I gained belief." 

Mari Selvaraj also spoke about how his mother-in-law was a big support in his life and gave him the confidence to marry his daughter. He said, "Her mother said that getting married is easy since there's no one going to raise any opposition. But, she had a wish that the marriage had to be done in front of everyone since many were seeing how she had been raising her children and I too felt that to be quite fair. So, I then went and met all their relatives and it was a completely new experience for me. It was a big process for me to make this relationship a successful one."

Speaking about the journey from being in a relationship to getting married, Mari Selvaraj added, "From thinking this would not be possible and then to get married in their own native at Salem, it was a big step for all of us. In fact, we printed the words 'Love Marriage' on our wedding invitation and it happened with a lot of freedom and beyond my expectations. Everyone won in this. It's not something that happens every day for everyone where the parents, children, and love wins. And, the reason for this is the belief she and her mother had in me. I was only an assistant director at the time. Beyond thinking about whether I'll win or not, her mother realized that I love her daughter a lot. The reason for that trust was our love. In fact, I didn't have even Rs. 100/- in my hand at the time of my marriage. I had told her mother ten days before the wedding to think if she wanted to go ahead with the wedding because I was in depression since Pariyerum Perumal was stuck in development hell. It would go till the last point of signing the film, but I'd be told that it wasn't going to be made. During such a time, I'd get doubts. That's when I told her mother that I'm not sure when I'll be victorious, but she gave me assurance that everything will turn out positive. And, that's how the marriage happened. I remember quite well that I was extremely depressed till the day of our marriage. When I say depression, it was a fear about how I was going to live up to her belief. But, since that day, it has been a positive vibe and I'm here now."

Watch Mari Selvaraj and Divya Mari in the video below: