Arya, known for his success in commercial cinema, and who excelled under Vishnuvardhan’s direction in Arrambam, is now being teamed with Vijay Sethupathy, an actor who has made a name for his ability to pull off offbeat roles, in director S. P. Jhananathan's Purampokku . It has been three years since Jhananathan’s last release, Peranmai. “During this period, I got involved in running a film industry-related association which needed full-time attention. Now that that responsibility is over, I am picking up from where I left off and plan to be fully involved with the filmmaking process. Purampokku is my first film since after his three-year hiatus. Arya plays a social activist while Vijay Sethupathy is a kalasi in the railways. I see tremendous potential in both these artistes and pitting them against each other will create an impact. Purampokku is a political action thriller,” reveals Jhananathan.
Goundamani in 49 O
The title of the film 49 O is unique because it stands for the number you would choose if you would not like to vote for any of the candidates on the list. When the main protagonist happens to be yesteryear comedian, Goundamani, who is trying to make a comeback without his celebrated sidekick Senthil, one tends to analyse the meaning of the title and the relevance to the situation. Emerging from under the wings of Gautham Vasudev Menon, director Arokya Dass says that Goundamani plays the role of a farmer in 49 O and is ably supported by Mayilsami, M. S. Bhaskar, Thirumurugan and Somasundaram. A laugh riot is expected.
Directorial debut in Tamil
Director Sajin Varghese believes many words have a dual meaning when applied to different situations. “ Aruthapathi (Apartments), the title of my first film, is one such word. I have come up with an action-thriller screenplay,” says Sajin, who worked with Malayalam director Vinayan for many years. So, how come a Tamil film for his directorial debut? While looking for an ideal story, I realised that some Tamil words have a double meaning and decided my debut film would be in Tamil. The lead actors are Viddarth and Aishwarya Dutta and I plan to start shooting in a week’s time,” signs off Sajin.
Which team is Aavaana backing?
Aavaana is in a quandary over which cricket team to support. The girl from Bengal, who is playing the lead in the Malayalam film Medulla Oblankatta, was in Mumbai for the launch of the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL), along with Sachin Tendulkar. Medulla Oblankatta is the first Malayalam film to be produced by Vendhar Movies. Asked which team she supports, Aavaana said, “I am a Bengali, so I felt it should be Bengal Tigers. However, as I live in Mumbai, cheering for Mumbai Heroes was only natural. Since I am working on Tamil and Telugu films, I was drawn to those teams. The director of my upcoming Malayalam movie Suresh Nair and my four male co-actors Rahul Madhav, Saiju Kurup, Arjun Nandkumar and Rakendhu are all Kerala Strikers’ players, so I am supporting them this season. I wish them all the best. Cricket and films are followed with immense passion in India and CCL, which combines the two, takes entertainment to a different level altogether. As a child, I used to go the stadium with my family to watch cricket matches. With eight teams participating this year, the tournament will be watched by the entire country.”
