A successful debut film helps a filmmaker get noticed, but it is the success of the second film that ensures the filmmaker is not quickly dismissed as a one-trick pony. S.R. Prabhakaran, whose first film, Sundarapandian , was a smash hit, is in the most crucial phase of his career as he awaits the release of his second film, Ithu Kathirvelan Kaadhal , tentatively on February 14. The film will also be a litmus test for Udhayanidhi Stalin whose first film, Oru Kal Oru Kannadi , was a big success.
After dealing with issues of crime and punishment within the contours of Usilampatti’s caste-ridden society in his first film, Prabhakaran returns with a tale of romance set in and around Coimbatore and Madurai.
When asked what one could expect from Ithu Kathirvelan Kadhal, Prabhakaran says it’s the “crackling Udhayanidhi-Santhanam chemistry” and “a wholesome family entertainer”. But the crux of the film, apparently, is the conflict between liberal youngsters wanting to take control of their lives and parents caught in a world of conservatism. “The film will explore how parents and their children seldom see each other’s point of view,” he says.
Is this yet another film that validates the rule of patriarchs? “This being a mainstream commercial film, I have tried to explore this issue without dwelling too much on it. The film portrays how the interests of children and parents can be aligned if they make an effort to meet each other half way.”
Having grown up in a village on the outskirts of Madurai, Prabhakaran’s first film captured how caste regulates the lives of the people . However, he had to face criticisms for extolling caste pride. “It was never my intention but I am aware of the criticisms made by several bloggers. I felt that it would be illogical not to talk about the social milieu in a story that is set in Usilampatti.” In Ithu Kathirvelan Kadhal , however the director claims that he has avoided any references to caste.
Prabhakaran’s habit of living in the place where his stories are set as a part of his research led him to document the popularity of politicians of West Bengal in Usilampatti in Sundarapandian . After spending close to 40 days in Coimbatore, he decided that Ithu Kathirvelan Kadhal will not feature characters speaking in the famous Coimbatorean dialect “I was surprised to find that not many youngsters speak in the dialect of the region. I heard only elders use phrases like ‘Eanunga na’. Today people living in cities across the State speak the same dialect.” This new emerging trend could perhaps justify Harris Jayaraj’s western-sounding tunes and Nayanthara’s stylish looks in the film.
