For almost two years, actor-comedian Vivekh has been spotted on the film radar only occasionally. “Following an interaction with former President Dr. Abdul Kalam, I was on a mission to plant trees across Tamil Nadu. Through my Green Kalam initiative, I have so far planted 18.5 lakh trees and my target is one crore by year end. As for films, I am awaiting the release of Machan which, I think, will be a comeback of sorts, after this short break,” says Vivekh who is currently in Palakkad shooting for Palakkattu Madhavan along with Sonia Aggarwal and Malayalam actor Sheela. “In Machan , I play a character called Animal Arasu and my job is to rent out animals for film shooting. There is a dog, which is my favourite, and in one of the scenes it runs away with its female friend, thereby paving the way for a mini story within a story. It’s a comedy quite different from the ordinary,” says the evergreen comedian. Vivekh is cast with Karunas and Sheryl Pinto in Machan directed by Shakti Chidambaram.
Friend indeed
Brahmaputra is director Thomas’ pet project. The making of the film was stalled midway due to unforeseen circumstances. That’s when his friend, D. Rufus, came to his rescue. “Rufus had approached me for another film project. But I told him that I could start work on it only after completing Brahmaputra . He at once understood my plight and helped me complete th film. Rufus felt that a film like Brahmaputra should see the light of day because it would benefit the public,” informs Thomas. Brahmaputra stars Murali, Dinesh, Sankesh, Akshita and Udayatara. “Now that the film is into post-production we have registered the title for the next film — Eera Kaatrey ,” says Thomas.
Newcomers all
Director Vikraman has cast newcomers in his current project, Ninaithathu Yaro . He recently shot two song sequences featuring Rijith and Nimisha at the picturesque Pahalgham in Kashmir. “The script demanded a fresh cast and I am to have got Rijith and Nimisha, besides the others. I managed to complete the shoot in 50 days which included filming six songs. This, despite the fact that I went straight into filming without any rehearsal. I am confident that my lead actors have a bright career ahead of them. Ninaithathu Yaro is a tender love story with romance portrayed subtly,” says Vikraman.
Exploring relationships
Should parental love be taken for granted? Shouldn’t the children reciprocate this love? Director-actor M. A. Ramakrishnan explores this in his forthcoming film, Pongadi Neengalum Unga Kadhalum . He has cast Athmiya ( Manam Kothi Paravai ) opposite himself in this project. Ramakrishnan has also written the story, screenplay and dialogue. “I have focused on parental love and how society compels parents to provide their children with luxuries of life, which sometimes backfire. Children sometimes take advantage of their parents’ benevolence, which affects their relationship. Pongadi Neengalum Unga Kadhalum does not preach or advise, but through the characters and their relationships, highlights issues affecting modern society,” says Ramakrishnan.
