You are probably wondering how those sweeping aerial shots from impossible angles are taken, especially when it seems that the camera is flying off a cliff, hangs in midair, focussing on the hero and the villain pummelling each other, on the edge. “Once upon a time, we had to cart heavy boom cranes to inaccessible locations and it took hours to do that. Or, we had to hire a helicopter for which permission and clearance were required, not to mention the costs involved. Today, it is all done with the use of a helicam,” says Aravind Kamalanathan, DoP. He works with a few able assistants to operate the helicam. “There is a pilot who ‘flies’ the gadget using a sophisticated remote. Then there is a camera operator who remote-controls the camera which is rigged to the helicam,” says Aravind, who directs them according to the director and cinematographer’s instructions. “It is a joint effort which also involves the stunt directors and the actors taking part in the scene. What you finally get to see are some spectacular shots.”
Look out for the UU trailer
The trailer of Uyirukku Uyiraga ( UU ) will be launched along with Vijay’s Thalaivaa. The producers of Thalaivaa and UU, Vendhar Movies, are planning to launch their TV channel along with the audio of UU mid-September. Sharran, who plays the hero in Uyirukku Uyiraga, says, “ UU is an important film in my career and I’m eagerly awaiting its release. Right now, all the talkie portions are over and we have just one more song to be canned. The song written by Gana Bala will be sung by him along with Madhu and me.” Sharran is paired with Preeti Das in UU .
Negative attracts
C harles Shaffiq Karthiga ( CSK) is fast nearing completion. For one of the five leads, Narayan, this film will be a major break where he plays a character with negative shades. “ CSK is centred on the heroine and there are four of us whose lives revolve around her,” says Narayan. What he is even more excited about is that he has acted in three other films which had Trisha as the heroine. “In Samar, Endrendrum Punnagai and Bhoologam, I have shared screen space with Trisha. More importantly, we share a deep love for animals and every time we meet on the sets, she enquires about my dog. As far as my films are concerned, I am looking forward to the release of 6 Candles next month. In this film, I share screen space with Shaam,” says Narayan.
