Life can’t get better for Vishal who has been having a blast shooting for Sundar C’s Madha Gaja Raja ( MGR ) along with Santhanam. The actor, who has just signed Michael Rayappan’s next film to be directed by Bhoopathy Pandian , says, “Thanks to Santhanam, who makes everybody laugh so much, I look forward to going to work. With him around you don’t feel like taking even a day’s off. Santhanam is good for health. I have laughed so much through the shooting of this film that I think I have added a few more years to my life. He is good with one-liners and the best part is that he cracks jokes with a straight face. Sundar C, who has a terrific sense of humour himself, Santhanam and I have been having a whale of a time working together.”
Worth the wait
There have been instances of producers and directors postponing projects to ensure the availability of dates of heroes and heroines. But ever heard of a director waiting for the dates of an actor to play villain? Well, Vincent Selva, known for his films Priyamudan and Youth starring Vijay, wanted to cast actor Prakash Raj as the villain in Thulli Vilayadu , and chose to wait for almost a year. Says Vincent, “I wanted to do a film in the Hitchcock format. My film will be thrilling yet funny. I finalised Yuvraj as hero and Suri and Chandraya as his friends. When it came to the villain’s role, both my producer and I were particular that only Prakash Raj must do it. He had such confidence in us that he agreed to work in our project without even listening to the script. He has done a fabulous job and the wait has been worth it.” Deepthi, who played the role of a college girl in Engeyum Epodhum , is the heroine. The film slated to release in September is about how fortune favours the brave.
Shot at a game
When director Suseenthiran first made Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu , a film on the sport of kabaddi, little would he have known that his film’s success would start a trend. Several films on sports have since been made and more are in the making. The latest to join the list is Veyilodu Vilayadu , which will focus on the sport of volleyball. The film directed by N. V. Ramkumar has Mahesh of Angaadi Theru fame in the lead and is about the struggles of a volleyball player who makes it big finally. Incidentally, Mahesh is a volleyball player himself and was chosen for this role for his skills with the game. It is said that the volleyball sequences shot for the film were canned in Coimbatore over a period of 20 days and that several state-level players were roped in.
