Director Pat Boonnitipat talks about his heartwrenching Thai film How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is the latest film to come out of Thailand and has caught every movie-goer’s attention for being so heartwrenching that you are bound to be in tears by the end. Much loved by viewers and critics alike, this commercial and critically acclaimed movie has a lot going on.
Directed by Pat Boonnitipat, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies stars Bilkin, Usha Seamkhum, Jear Sarinrat Thomas, Duu Sanya Kunakorn, Phuak Pongsatorn Jongwilas, Tu Tontawan Tantivejakul and Himawari Tajiri and was first released in April 2024.
Also known as Lahn Mah, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies represents the Sino-Thai community and is based on Pat’s family who has also co-written the script. It follows M and his family as they struggle to make ends meet.
M’s luck seems to be bad till his cancer-ridden Amah (grandmother) inherits a multi-million house after the patriarch of the house passes away. He decides to look after her in hopes that she will pass down the house to him. But as they start spending time together, he ends up bonding with her.
Well, TheReviewGeek had a chance to talk to Director Pat Boonnitipat about his hit Thai film How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies and everything that goes into making a successful project. In an exclusive interview with TheReviewGeek, Boonnitipat also shares his thoughts on working with Usha and Bilkin, if he shed tears as much as we did and more.
You’ve worked on both films and TV series. Is there a difference between writing for films and TV?
Pat: For me, writing for film is totally different from writing for TV. It took me around 8 months to understand how to write for film. Writing for film is about finding the charm of every element you choose to put in the story – the character, the plot point. While writing for TV, it is about finding the right structure for the story.
Is it better to direct your own script or do you feel the burden lifted when the script is provided for you?
Pat: It is much easier to also participate in writing the script. Because during the process of writing, for me, it is also the process of directing.
While it was early in your career, you have also dabbled in some camera work. Would you ever consider directing and also being the cinematographer for a project?
Pat: As I have had a chance to work with amazing cinematographers like Boonyanuch Kraithong who shot the film for me, I realise that being a cinematographer is out of reach for me. It totally requires a different skill set than I thought I had when I was a cinematographer. So, I would prefer to have a good cinematographer and a friend to share with rather than shooting it on my own.
Do you think it is easier to tell your cinematographer what you want since you know about that field? Or do you prefer giving them the freedom to execute your vision the way they want?
Pat: Usually, the cinematographer and I, we will do a lot of talking, we will do a lot of research on the cinematography of each project before we actually get into the shooting or before we even get into executing each shot. And so, during that process, we collaborate and come up with proper ways of telling that very story. By the time of shooting, I will then give a lot of space to the cinematographer, believing that she (Boonyanuch) can deliver it better than my own vision. I will just tell her the size of the frame and roughly where to place the camera and I’ll leave it to her.
You’ve shared that the characters of How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies are all modelled after real people, your family in fact! But did you ever expect it to be so globally relatable, especially the character of Amah?
Pat: No, I didn’t expect this, that the characters in this movie would be so relatable to so many people. And with Amah, it just came naturally because my Amah is exactly like that and I could only direct this kind of Amah because she is the only one I know.
Usha Seamkhum who plays Amah is an absolute delight. If you could work with her again, what type of character would you want her to play?
Pat: Actually, Usha, her real personality is totally different from the movie. She is very charming, sweet and kind. She likes to hug people. If I could have a chance to work with her again, I might direct her in a way that resembles her real personality more as that would be interesting.
The cast did so well that we could feel what they felt. But it is without a doubt that along with Usha, Bilkin stole the show. How was it working with him? Is his portrayal of M the way you imagined it in your head?
Pat: Working with him is a pleasure because he was responsible to the role he was given. He contributed a lot to this movie. It is very new to me to direct someone in an indirect way. It’s like getting to know each other by talking a lot, by preparing a lot. We spent so much time blending the real him into the character to form M. There was a lot of rewriting for the script to match the character that Bilkin gave us which eventually he performed really well.
It is a given fact that whoever watches the film comes out crying! Were you able to feel the same emotions when you watched the final cut or were you desensitized, having worked on it from scratch?
Pat: During the whole process, I have shed a lot of tears. During the script writing, during the production and also during the editing. It is still very fresh in each process because I am very fortunate to have worked with people who contributed their creativity to this film. So every time I watch it, it will have some element that’s new which contributes to the sensation of the film.
Do you have in mind what type of project you’d like to do next?
Pat: I still have nothing in mind right now.
The love for How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is phenomenal. Do you have any final words for your fans?
Pat: It is our honour, me and my team to be warmly accepted by the audience. We feel so blessed that the work that we love so much is also loved by the audience. Thank you so much.
Watch the critically acclaimed Thai movie How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies in theatres.