Looking for meaningful roles
The offer to act in the Tamil film Mannaru came out of the blue for Vaishali, after her cameo in the Malayalam film 3 Kings . Despite the Mannaru role not being glamorous, Vaishali accepted it because she was impressed with the script and her character. “In Mannaru I may have played a rustic character, but it was very gratifying to act opposite the talented Appu Kutty. In reality, I am a modern girl and love to wear both western and Indian outfits. But, my dusky complexion may suit only certain roles. Nevertheless, I yearn to do meaningful and realistic roles. My dream is to act in films by Mani Ratnam, Bala and Gautham Menon. I know it is asking for the impossible, but then, isn’t it every actor’s wish?” asks Vaishali who is examining a few scripts before finalising her next project.
Exploring marriage
Some years ago, a divorce case came up in the High Court involving a 70-year-old man and his 65-year-old wife. Apparently, they had had enough of having to sacrifice each other’s personal lives and losing their individual identities for the sake of peace and happiness. Director Ravi Lallin feels such sacrifice is not required in a relationship, be it pre or post marriage. “Retaining one’s individuality, but at the same time respecting the other person’s identity and sharing love and responsibilities, is more important in a relationship. I have based Sillunu Oru Sandippu on this premise and have recreated the characters of the elderly couple to lend authenticity to the story. Alongside, there is also a youthful relationship involving Vimal, Dipa Shah and Oviya in a love triangle to pep up the narrative,” says Ravi.
Short and sweet
Director Sri Ganesh S. has gathered accolades at the Nalaya Iyakkunar show on TV for making Oru Koppai Theneer ( A Cup of Tea), his fifth short film. “As the elimination process progressed, I made six films. My short film Oru Koppai Theneer was selected as the best film of the week and the best actor recognition was given to both the lead actors. In the finals, the film also got awards for best dialogue of the series and Vinodini got the best actor of the series. I am thrilled that a simple nine-minute story has been getting so much attention. The film is based on a short story, Iru Kumizhugal by S. Ramakrishnan, who has also written the dialogues. I wrote the screenplay and cast Vinodini and Abhinaya as the inspector and the accused respectively, in Oru Koppai Theneer ,” says Sri Ganesh. For the finals of the show, Sri Ganesh made 501 , his sixth short film.
Even toy dogs have their day
This is probably the first time that stuffed toy dogs are the heroes of a film. While they remain toys on the book shelf during the day, they turn into action heroes at night to commit crime. Director S. S. Baba Vikram, who had earlier directed Kannamma , has made Bommai Naigal, a film that will appeal to both adults and children. “The story revolves around an orphan whose family members were murdered. As he grows up, he decides to take revenge on those responsible for the crime. With the help of a few well-wishers, a chip is developed that can be inserted into stuffed toys. A priest visits the houses of the criminals and gifts them these toys, which can be remotely activated. They are programmed to kill the criminals,” says Baba Vikram.
