Back in the hot seat
Five years is a long time for a person of the calibre of Sundar C to get over his director's block. “I hit a dead end; a sort of burn-out. I switched to acting, all the while waiting for that right project, the inspiration and time,” recalls Sundar.
With around 25 films under his belt, director Sundar C stepped in front of the camera in 2006, and acted in about 10 films. Now, he's back, as actor and director, with Nagaram .
So, is he a better actor or director? “Definitely, a better director. Out of the blue, I had this wonderful idea for Nagaram, and decided I would write the character to suit me, rather than look out for another actor. I think the creative juices are flowing again,” says an excited Sundar C.
Welcome back, Captain
The Captain is back in command, doing what he knows best — acting. Vijayakanth is the producer, director and hero of Virudhagiri . The glam quotient is being provided by Meenakshi Dikshit.
Apparently, the film is being timed for release around Pongal, prior to the forthcoming elections. With Vijayakanth in total control, this is quite possibly a ‘campaign' film.
Way to go
With a solid background in theatre, both Tamil and English, especially with Koothu-p-pattarai and Magic Lantern, it was an easy transition to films for Kumaravel. Moulded to perfection by director Radha Mohan in three films, notably Azhagiya Theeye and Abhiyum Naanum , Kumaravel plays an important role in the latter's Payanam too. Says Kumaravel, “I derived a lot of satisfaction from my role in Madrasapattinam, and I am looking forward to Dharani in which I play one of the three leads. The film features newcomers and is directed by Guhan.”
Says Radha Mohan: “Kumaravel is a fine artiste. His theatre background is a great advantage for him as well as for the director, as he understands the requirements of acting and dialogue delivery.”
Star power
Venkat Prabhu's Mankatha is a true-blue multi-starrer. In the acting department, the main leads Ajith Kumar and Trisha are ably complemented by Telugu stars Nagarjuna and Vaibhav Reddy along with Lakshmi Rai, Ganesh Venkatraman and Premgi Amaren. Yuvan Shankar Raja weaves his magical music wand, and has reportedly got his father, the illustrious Ilaiyaraaja, to croon for him. Lending a poetic touch to the lyrics are Valee and Gangai Amaren. Now, that's a lot of star power, right?
