Director Arivazhagan, who impressed movie-goers with Eeram, is now almost ready with his next film Vallinam. The film, which features Nakul in the lead, revolves around basketball. Recently, the director began shooting its climax in a playground in the city. Says Arivazhagan, “We had to spend over Rs. 1.25 crore for the set erected for the climax. The mat on the basketball court has been imported from the U.S. for Rs. 35 lakh. The stadium can seat around 1,500 people.” The film’s matches will also feature foreign players. “We have a few Nigerians in the film. They are actually students studying in institutions here,” says Arivazhagan.
On a roll
Ganesh Venkatraman seems to be on cloud nine. The actor’s performance in the Telugu film Damarukam earned him accolades. That performance caught director Sundar C.’s attention, and he signed Ganesh as one of the leads for his next Tamil-Telugu bilingual Theeya Velai Seiyanum Kumaru. Now, director Lingusamy too has roped in Ganesh for his production Ivan Vera Madhri, which has Vikram Prabhu in the lead. The film is directed by director Sarvanan of Engeyum Eppodhum fame.
Says Ganesh, “I am overwhelmed. It’s a very young and energetic unit and I’m having a blast shooting with director Saravanan. I play a cop with a no-nonsense attitude. Wearing the uniform is so inspiring.”
