Getting selected as a semi-finalist in Season 2 of Nalaiya Iyakkunar in 2010 proved to be a turning point for N. Rajesh Kumar. Three years later, he has become a full-fledged feature film director with Chikkikku Chikkikichu , a romantic comedy that unfolds during a train journey. “The 12-hour journey from Chennai to Nagercoil has been condensed into a two-and-a-half-hour film. It brings the hero and heroine together with all the resultant fun and humour. Mithun ( Chennayil Oru Naal ) and Mridula ( Nagaraja Cholan MLA ) play the lead. A song sung by T. Rajendar is a highlight,” says Rajesh who continues to work in the IT department of an international airline in Dubai. “That’s to keep the home fires burning till my directorial career takes off.”
Steeped in devotion
With the advent of comedy, romance and thriller films, devotional films seemed to have taken a backseat. Producer E. Jayapal Swamy intends to reverse this trend with his forthcoming venture Merku Mogappair Sri Kanaka Durga ( MMSKD ) directed by Chandra Kannaiyan. “The story, with the famous West Mogappair temple as the backdrop, is based on a real-life incident. A man advised against marriage due to a major ‘dosham’ in his horoscope, goes ahead with it. But soon his joy is shattered by unpleasant incidents in the family. I have added a parallel track involving a spirit and the narratives come together in the climax to add to the thrill,” says Chandra Kannaiyan. With music by Deva and songs (one of which is sung by Deva himself) penned by the producer, MMSKD features Magi, Saravanan, Divya Nagesh and Janvika.
It’s Pallavi in Gautham’s next
Gautham Vasudev Menon’s films have always had strong female characters despite the presence of well-known heroes in them. Remember Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa, Vaaranam Aayiram, Vettaiyadu Vilayadu , and Kakha Kakha ? Jessie of VTV is still fresh in our minds! Now that Gautham has announced his next project with Simbu in the lead, people are curious to know who the heroine would be. Well, it’s Pallavi, according to the unit. Nothing else is known about her, which is typical of a Gautham production.
