Hema Rukmani, the producer of Mersal, explains what a producer does. How the company (Thenandal Studios Limited) makes decisions about which films to produce. How Mersal, the Vijay blockbuster directed by Atlee (and with music by AR Rahman), came about. She speaks about her involvement in the various stages of making the film, and about the controversies that came about. About the pluses and minuses of making a mega-movie like Mersal versus making several smaller films for the same amount of money. About what it takes to keep a studio running for over four decades. About the studio's shift from small films to big productions like Kaatru Veliyidai, Mersal and the upcoming Sanghamitra. Finally, she talks about the lessons learned from Mersal.