What it is about…
Magic Box Films’ Pannaiyarum Padminium revolves around a landlord ( pannaiyar ) and his car, a Premier Padmini. The story is said to have several twists and turns to keep the audience engrossed. Produced by M.R. Ganesh, the film is written and directed by S.U. Arun Kumar. The cast comprises Vijay Sethupathi, Jayaprakash, Thulasi, Iswariya, Balasaravanan and Neelima Rani. Sneha and ‘Attakathi’ Dinesh are making a guest appearance in the film. The others involved are Gokul Benoy (camera), Justin Prabhakaran (music), Sreekar Prasad (editing) and C.S. Balachander (art). The audio of the film was released by producer and director Keyar and received by actor Nani, who has also bought the Telugu rights of the film.
What they say…
Producer M.R. Ganesh: After finishing my MBA, I joined actor-producer V.T.V. Ganesh to make Vanam which got us a good name. Keen on launching my own project, I started scouting for a good story. That’s when I heard this line from director Arun Kumar and got interested in making it into a film. Pannaiyarum Padminium is a neat entertainer suitable for the entire family.
Director S.U. Arun Kumar: I happened to watch the first season of the reality TV show Naalaya Iyakkunar and liked some of the short films featured on it. I entered mine in the second season and emerged a runner-up. Later on seeing some of the directors turn feature film makers, I wanted to follow suit. When I pitched this story to producer Ganesh, he liked it very much. What I did as a short is still available on YouTube. Though the feature film is inspired by this short, its screenplay is entirely different.
Hero Vijay Sethupathy: When I heard this storyline, I was convinced that it had the potential of being turned into a feel-good flick. Liking an inanimate thing is an experience in itself. Each and every scene is lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience while shooting.
Music director Justin Prabhakaran: After finishing my graduation in Madurai, I wanted to become a composer. So I enrolled for a course in sound engineering at the Taramani film institute. Then I joined music director Harris Jayaraj as his sound engineer. I have composed music for as many as 45 short films. In Naalaya Iyakkunar Season 2 and 3, I got the best music director award. Director Arun Kumar became a good friend through the show. That’s how we came together on this film. I am getting appreciation from all quarters for my debut film album.
Music highlights: There are five songs in the album of which three are by lyricist Vaalee — they are ‘Onakaaga Poranthaenae,’ ‘Enakkaaga Poranthayae’ and ‘Pesuraen Pesuraen.’ ‘Onakaaga Poranthaenae’ is sung by Balaram Sandhya, S.P.Charan and Anu Anand. The two charanams are evocative of the styles of M. S. Viswanathan and Illaiyaraaja. The composer has used varied musical instruments to suggest the difference. ‘Enakkaaga Poranthayae’ sung by S.P. Charan and Anu Anand has slightly different lyrics. ‘Pesuraen Pesuraen’ is a pleasant number rendered by the music director along with Vairam, Pandiyamma and Thaayamma. The sound of the rain in the background enhances the mood. Two songs, written by the music director, are ‘Enna Ooru Vandi’ and ‘Kadhal Vanthaacho’. While the first one sung by Akilesh, Allen, Gowtham, Haripriya, Anjana, Yazhini and Neyveli Sriram is targeted at children, ‘Kadhal’ is an attractive duet by Karthik and Prashanthini.
