Bitten by the acting bug
The arc lights beckoned Gautam when he was in college. He was a regular at campus fashion shows and also did a bit of modelling. Later, he got his portfolio done and circulated it among model coordinators. One such portfolio reached director Raghuraj, who was looking for a new face for Appavi . Gautam landed the role opposite Suhani, another new face from Andhra Pradesh. The actor is currently working on his second film Ivanum Panakkaran with Kanya for director Jagan, an associate of Perarasu. Gautam says, “This is a commercial film with all the right ingredients such as romance, action, and comedy. To hone my histrionic skills, I am attending acting classes. I have managed to complete my graduation , but my future lies in films.”
Drama on the island
After producing films such as Nalaiya Manithan , Manasukkul Mathappu and Athisaya Manithan and directing several other films including Ashokavanam , Thakkali Srinivasan attempts a unique theme for his next film Aduthathu . Starring Sriman, Nasser, Neenal, Dharshini and others, the story revolves around a group of ten who are sent to an uninhabited island as part of a TV reality show. They have to prove their capability to withstand tough, inhuman conditions and those who survive will get a grand prize of ten crore rupees. “But strange things happen on the island and the participants discover there are others already living there. Are they part of a scheme of things which the TV producers have planned or are they criminals hiding in the island or are they spirits? “ Aduthathu will be an edge-of-the-seat thriller,” assures the director.
The darker side of life
After making his mark in Malayalam films, director Mohanroop attempts a Tamil film, Thoothuvan . Starring new faces Alan and Archana, the film portrays life in the slums, especially how crimes such as child abuse and human trafficking thrive in these areas. Alan is a Good Samaritan, who tries to alleviate the sufferings of the under-privileged, who are exploited by the rich and powerful.
Strike it right
The hero Viswanath Balaji (of ‘Maanada Mayilada’ fame) is forced to choose between the blackboard (school) and the carrom board (sport) in director Vijayanand’s Vilayada Vaa . He Opts for the latter. Divya Padmini (earlier seen in Ayyan) plays the heroine and is ably supported by Aishwarya ( Avargalum Ivargalum ). “The carom borad is used as a metaphor for life in this film that portrays the hero’s struggle to make it as a successful player,” says Vijayanand.
Honour for Kaavalan
It is a matter of great pride for Vijay and the makers of Kaavalan that it was the only entry from South India amongst 2500 films from 80 countries for the Shanghai International Film Festival. “And, it was selected! This is a first for Vijay,” says Rekhs, co-ordinator for South Indian cinema for international film festivals and a professional sub-titler for regional films. Incidentally, Rekhs also sub-titled Kaavalan . The Shanghai International Film Festival will be held between June 11 and 19th. For Vijay, who is currently for Shankar’s Nanban at Amsterdam, this is a significant achievement as Kaavalan is his 51st film.
