Indian film costumes are going to be the cynosure of all eyes when the Hawaii International Film festival opens on October 10 at Honolulu. Thanks to the efforts of the East West Centre based in Honolulu, Cheri Vasek, Professor, Department of Theatre and Dance, and her associate Eva Enriquez visited Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to meet film costume designers. “I was fortunate to interact with the likes of Bhanu Athaiya, Gaviin Miguel, Anu and Neeta Lulla as well as visit Annapoorna Studios and the production facility of Ashutosh Gowarikar. I am arranging for designer sketches, costumes and other accessories from the southern film industries and Bollywood which will be on display at the East West Centre between September 29, 2013 and January 5, 2014 to coincide with the festival. This will also be a tribute to 100 years of Indian Cinema,” says Cheri Vasek. Eva informs that they are also entrusted with the task of shortlisting the Tamil films to be showcased at the festival.
Playing varied roles
He may have had a lean year so far in terms of releases, but Viddarth is an excited man, shooting in Orissa for another schedule of director Siva’s yet-to-be-titled film starring Ajith and Tamannaah. “I have four films including Aal, Jannal Oram and Pattaya Kelappanum Pandiya lined up for release and in each of them I play a different character,” says Viddarth. “Meanwhile, director Sajin Varghese briefly outlined the story of Meesan and I was attracted to the character which is close to what I am in real life,” notes Viddarth. Meesan is a romantic thriller that traces a man’s journey through the ups and downs of life, his relationships, experiences and more. “After years of gaining experience working under director Vinayan on several Malayalam and Tamil films, I have gathered enough confidence to strike out on my own with this film for which I have written the story, screenplay and dialogue. When it came to choosing the hero, I had no hesitation in selecting Viddarth who fits the character to a T,” says Sajin.
The hills are alive
Director-actor S. J. Suryah’s pet project Isai is reverberating in the hills and valleys of Kodaikanal. Said to be a story showcasing the ego clashes between a senior musician and an upcoming artiste, Suryah has spent a lot of time shooting some important scenes in a village set he created in the hills of Kodi. Suryah has composed all the songs himself for the film which he describes as a musical thriller. Speaking from Kodi, Suryah says, “I have created a village comprising 30 houses and a church on top of Parapatti, one of the highest hills in Kodi. As per the script, I go to the village which is surrounded by forests in search of material for my album, Sound of Nature. The heroine lives there. Romance blossoms. The first half of the film is set in this beautiful place.”
