Daniel Balaji took it up as a challenge to play the role of a person who loses his mental stability in director Ilayadevan’s Gnanakirukkan . “Someone told me that I was incapable of doing roles other than stylish ones. When Ilayadevan approached me for this role, I thought I should do it to satisfy my inner instincts. I play hero Jaga’s father who becomes mentally affected on the day the baby is born. The child goes away and returns as an adult. Meanwhile, my condition becomes worse and when the son returns, I do not recognise him. Disillusioned, he goes away and my life continues,” says Daniel. The story is based on real-life characters, many of whom are still alive in the village where the film was shot. “In fact, an elderly woman embraced me mistaking me for the original person. Living this character has been very satisfying and as an actor, I have benefited a lot.”
What’s the story about?
Does the title of director Subu’s film Suttakathai suggest a stolen story idea? Says Subu: “It could be about a shooting incident or about impersonation. The person watching the film would interpret it based on his personal experiences. The film is not slapstick comedy. It has subtle humour built into the screenplay. I would term it a black comedy.” The director has set the story in a fictional state which has its own currency. Balaji and Venki are teamed with Lakshmipriya. Nasser plays a corrupt police inspector.
Exploring relationships
There are many instances of love marriages breaking up. “This is because the individuals concerned haven’t made an effort to understand each other. I am exploring relationships before and after marriage, in a light-hearted way. The emotional romantic comedy will also show that while expectations are justified, a relationship must be given time to develop, even after marriage,” says director R. Venkatesan. He has cast Michael, winner of Jodi No. 1 Season 3, and Nandita ( Attakathi ) as the lead pair.
