Usually, about half a dozen films make it to the big screen on Deepavali. But this year, cine buffs can get to catch only two films in the theatres. They are 7aum Arivu , Suriya's much-awaited film by A. R. Murugadoss, and Velayudham , Vijay's latest directed by ‘Jayem' Raja. It's literally a clash of the titans, what with the films of Vijay and Suriya releasing in the maximum number of theatres in Chennai city. A Tamil dubbed version of Shah Rukh Khan's RA. One in which Superstar Rajnikanth makes a cameo appearance is also in the festival fray. Here's a sneak peek:
7aum Arivu
Cast: Suriya, Shruti Haasan, Johnny, Abinaya and Ilavarasu
Director: A. R. Murugadoss
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Cameraman: Ravi K. Chandran
Director's Cut: It tracks the story of Bodhidharma, a Buddhist monk who lived in the 6th Century, and weaves it into the present-day state of affairs. When I read his life history, tears started rolling down my cheeks. We seem to have forgotten all about this Pallava prince from southern India who renounced the kingdom and travelled to China to establish Zen Buddhism. He is deified in several parts of the world. I don't know how far I've succeeded in incorporating his life history into the film. The first 20 minutes of the film are dedicated to him. I am back on my home front after a gap of five years, and hope my Tamil fans will enjoy the film.
Velayudham
Cast: Vijay, Genelia, Hansika, Santhanam and Saranya Mohan
Director: ‘Jayem’ Raja
Music: Vijay Antony
Cameraman: N. K. Ekhambram
Director's Cut: A tailor-made story for Vijay, who is a hit with the young and the old alike. How an ordinary village youth becomes a leader is told in an interesting way. One can expect to see a mature Genelia in Velayudham , while Hansika may be hailed as ‘Chinna' Kushboo after the film's release. Santhanam is sure to make us laugh. I have introduced two villains. Saranya Mohan plays Vijay's sister. We have worked for 150 days and all of us are happy that the film has turned out well.
