Debuting with comedy
When she passed the screen test for a major role in the recently released Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Neethane En Ponvasantham , the acclaimed director had no clue about her lineage. “All he knew was I had a background in theatre, my portrayal of the scene was good and my demeanour was what he wanted for the role of Jenny,” says Vidyullekha Raman, daughter of actor and film historian Mohan Raman. “It was at a subsequent meeting with Gautham and producer Reshma Gatala that he came to know whose daughter I was. I play a comic role in the film. I was thrilled about it because Manorama has been my role model,” says this Viscom graduate from MOP Vaishnav College. She wouldn’t like to stop with comedy roles though and is keen on exploring character roles in her forthcoming assignments.
Just for laughs
Director R. Madhan Kumar feels that youngsters prefer light-hearted, romantic movies. “Romantic comedy is the choice of a majority of filmgoers. Yaaruda Mahesh, made by a youthful team, belongs to this category. The dialogues are sure to evoke laughter,” says Madhan. Yaaruda Mahesh stars Sundeep Kishan and Dimple Chopade.
Role call
His powerful presence in the Nagarjuna-starrer, Damarukam in Telugu, has helped him land many roles in Kollywood. Says Ganesh Venkatraman, “Finally, filmmakers have woken up to the fact that a Tamil actor is making waves in Telugu and I have started getting interesting offers. I have always admired Nagarjuna and he has been extremely supportive of me. I am happy that Damarukam has clicked in a big way and helped boost my career.” Director Sunder C of Kalakalappu fame liked his performance in Damarukam and has approached him for his Tamil-Telugu bilingual Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru to play one of the leads along with Siddharth and Hansika. “It’s an out-and-out comedy, a love triangle. The story unfolds in an IT company where all the three characters work as IT professionals. Santhanam plays a key role in the film.”
Vimal in Seenu’s next
Director Seenu Ramasamy is elated as his Neerparavai has been receiving accolades from all quarters. What does he plan to do next? He says, “I have signed Vimal for my next film produced by Vasans Visual Ventures who had earlier produced Naan Kadavul and Boss Engira Bhaskaran .” Vimal, who is currently in Kerala shooting for Jannal Oram for director Karu Pazhaniappan, will complete a 20-day schedule before starting with Seenu’s film.
High dose of horror
Director Mohanraj’s Mounamana Neram is a horror film shot extensively in Kerala, Valparai and Andhra Pradesh. Starring Dhivya Raaj, Rishikumar, Daisy and Krish, the film’s USP will be its cinematography. “It was a challenge to shoot the horror scenes in the outdoors,” says Mohanraj. C.V. Guruvayurappan, an alumnus of Subash Ghai’s Whistling Woods, is the cinematographer. Says Guruvayurappan: “According to the director’s vision, we shot entirely in daylight and in the outdoors while most films of this genre are shot at night and indoors. Despite this, we have managed to convey a sense of horror with the judicious use of lights and lenses.” Guruvayurappan has gained experience in Malayalam film Arike and had earlier assisted in the cinematography department for the Hindi film Emotional Athyachar .
