The bane of today’s youth is the cellphone, says director P. G. Surendran. He feels it is the main cause for many problems, rifts and misunderstandings among the youth. “In my film Kolagalam , there is a song ‘Mind Disturb-pannathey, Mind Disturb-pannathey’ with a socially relevant message,” says Surendran. Kolagalam is a full-length comedy, which also highlights the problems that crop up in relationships due to religion and caste issues. “For instance, it is a habit among the youth to address each other as ‘Machan’ (brother-in-law). But, take it a step further and approach the friend’s family for his sister’s hand in marriage…all hell will break loose!,” says Surendran. For the first time, Surendran has created a new comedy pair in Kolagalam, Kanjakaruppu and Devadarshini, to support the lead actors Amal and Saranya Mohan.
The next Game
Following the encouragement from a vast section in the film industry and discerning viewers for the short film Kasimedu Kadhal , director G. S. Viknesh is in the process of giving finishing touches to his new effort, The Game . “In Kasimedu Kadhal, we explored the nuances of tender romance that blossoms in Kasimedu, a rough and unruly neighbourhood. The film showed that behind a rough exterior one often finds a soft-hearted person. The Game explores the dreaded subject, divorce. The protagonist, a lawyer, draws up an elaborate plan to bring together an estranged couple. The premise is: when a man comes face to face with death, his true self comes to the fore. The lawyer stages a kidnap drama involving the couple and two others. He terrorises all of them and even stage-manages the murder of the other pair. In the process, the estranged couple try to help each other to escape from the lawyer’s clutches. Thereby, they find a new meaning in their relationship,” says Viknesh. Both the short films have been filmed by Thamizh A Azhagan, a talented cinematographer who is currently assisting Sakthi Saravanan ( Mankatha, All in All Azhaguraja and Biriyani) .
Action thrills
Not only is his production house called Lone Wolf Productions, Mysskin’s new film in which he does the main role of an anti-hero is called Onaiyum Aatukuttiyum — the wolf and the lamb! “In my heart I knew that only if I produced, directed and acted in it, this project would see the light of day. With this film, I am attempting a new genre, different from whatever I have done so far. Onaiyum Aatukuttiyum is an action-packed thriller. While I play the bad guy, the lamb is played by Sri ( Vazhakku En 18/9 ). But, as I always say, in every bad guy there is a good side and vice versa. So, as the film progresses you will see these shades in both the characters,” says Mysskin, whose role is that of a paid killer. The film has no heroines and no songs either. “It was tough convincing Ilaiyaraaja to score the background music. He almost threw me out when I told him there were no songs. But I was confident that, once he heard the story, he would change his mind; that’s exactly what happened. It will be his music that will enhance the screenplay,” says Mysskin.
Santhanam and Sethu to team up again
He does not consider himself just a comedian. Says Santhanam: “I think I have evolved as a character actor who specialises in humour. For instance in Kanna Laddu Thinna Asaya , Sethu, Srinivasan and I have equal roles to play. This kind of casting has helped me explore other facets of my talent.” Santhanam and Sethu were a hit combination in Kanna Laddu Thinna Asaya . This pair will be seen again in director Saigopal Ramnath’s Valibha Raja . While comedy will be an integral part of the script, the story is a family entertainer with a liberal dose of romance. Vishaka has already been signed on as part of the cast. “But,” says Santhanam, “Sethu is clearly the hero of Valibha Raja . I play the role of a psychiatrist. It does add value to the story as well as to the hero’s character.”
