Going places
His Nadunisi Naaygal and the Hindi remake of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya may be top priority, but Gautam Vaudev Menon is multi-tasking in a big way. His Photon Kathas Productions (PKP) has been listed on the Alternative Investment Market (London Stock Exchange), and the production house is busy completing Azhagar Saamiyin Kuthirai (directed by Susindaran) and Veppam (directed by Anjana). Says Gautam: “We also have other projects, including a television series, in various stages of development. I will be directing films exclusively for PKP, and have also roped in other directors to make films under my banner. PKP is my humble tribute to the South Indian film industry, and I hope it paves the way for a new generation of talent. And, helping see this vision through are my co-promoters Venkat Somasundaram and Reshma Ghatala.”
Lessons on life
Life comes to an end in a cemetery. But, director Malaichamy's forthcoming Bodhi Maram shows that life actually begins there, at least, for the hero, Kanishkar. “He meets scores of people who come to bury the dead, and learns a lot from each of them. He considers every person who comes there a Bodhi Maram,” says Malaichamy.
Eventually, does the hero become a font of knowledge and a source of inspiration for others? Wait and watch. Keeping Kanishkar company is Kavya. And yes, most of the film has been shot in a burial ground.
Love and longing
Two young lovers, engineers by profession, go to an almost-inaccessible mountain region to explore the possibility of constructing a dam. There, they get to hear of a love story between a city-bred professor who had gone there for research, and a tribal teacher. Sadly, the pair breaks up, and the professor laments his loss in solitude. What does the young couple learn from the professor's story? Cut to the present, and the girl decides to stay back after the exploration. Does she get drawn towards the professor? Director Sridhar tackles these in Kathalai Kathalikkiren, starring Kalaiselvan, Tina, Anjali Joy and Niya Rose. Sridhar is also credited with the music, background score and some lyrics.
Return of the anti-hero?
Being the son of a popular Malayalam producer, Madhavi Mohan, Yuvaraj used to frequent the shooting spots of various films. One day, he was summoned by a director to play the villain in Manase Mounama . Realising her son could act, Madhavi decided to launch him in her own production, Bhagavan . And, keeping him company are Udayatara and Varshini. During the course of the film, Yuvaraj's character transforms from that of a humble ‘agraharam' resident to a dangerous one. Will this mark the return of the anti-hero subject in Tamil films, after a lull? Director A.R. Sailaesh claims the characters in Bhagavan will be different from what people have seen so far.
Through thick and thin
Hero Kathir (Niram) is a water tanker driver who falls in love with a college student played by Soundarya (Honey Rose) in director Salangaidurai's Kandharvan . “Through the ups and downs in their life, their love remains constant,” says the director.
