The spotlight rests on the ‘superstar' as he takes on four well-built baddies. As soon as the director gives the go-ahead, fists fly and in true filmy style the four goons are thrown to four corners. That taken care of, the hero pulls the damsel-in-distress heroine towards him and the shot is canned. It's a scene from director Sanjeev Raj's ‘Filmstar,' the shooting of which is underway in Kochi.
“The movie narrates the story of the relationship between a film star (played by Kalabhavan Mani) and a villager (played by Dileep). Certain incidents happen in their lives, which bring the duo close to each other,” says Sanjeev Raj, who directed the movie ‘Five Fingers.'
The location for the day is a huge godown at Thammanam. Arc lights, paintings, a jeep that has been smashed and some cameras are all part of the set, which is supposed to be a “cinema-within-cinema.”
Focus on individuals
The camera is mounted on a Jimmy-jib crane and it zooms in on Kalabhavan Mani who sports a stylish jacket, wig and all. “Although I play a south Indian film star called Sooryakiran, it is not the glamour attached to the job that is in focus here. Rather it goes beyond all those trappings and focusses on certain individuals and related issues,” says Mani, who recently shared screen space with Rajnikant and Aishwarya Rai for Shankar's ‘Enthiran.'
Rambha in the cameo role of a film heroine appears to be in a hurry to get her shots canned. She has a flight to catch, she says. Nevertheless, the actor finds time to pose for pictures with a few of the stuntmen.
Dileep dons the role of Nandagopan, who belongs to a troubled village called Chittaramthodi. The displaced villagers of Chittaramthodi undergo untold suffering. Adding to their woes, their leader Comrade Raghavan (Thalaivasal Vijay) dies under mysterious circumstances. As Nandagopan tries to find out the truth behind the death of Comrade Raghavan, he is brutally attacked. His family subsequently pack him off to Mangalore. There he writes a script based on these incidents and meets Sooryakiran. At first the superstar has no time for Nandagopan and his script, but slowly he is drawn to them both.
Muktha plays Dileep's sister in ‘Filmstar,' produced under the banner of Wide Screen Cinema. Saloo George wields the camera. Still photographer is Ajit V. Sankar.
