What's in a role?
From Pacchaikkili Muthucharam to Ayirathil Oruvan , Andrea Jeremiah has evolved to doing roles close to her heart. “But,” says Andrea, “both characters I've played are very unlike the real me. I am still searching for that character of substance, which will give me total satisfaction. AO has taught me a lot; it has been a great challenge.”
Also, she says that while it seemed her role looked limited in the Tamil version, due to re-editing, the Telugu version looks like she has longer scenes. “And that has seen better acceptance among the audience,” says the happy actor.
A friendship turned sour
Realism seems to work well in Tamil cinema. Take, for instance, Ilakkana Pizhai — a film about an auto driver who falls in love with his best friend's wife. How this illicit love affair affects his friendship and relationship with others around him forms the crux of the film, directed by Joo, starring Arumugham, Sathya, Swathi and Rihanna. “The story is set in the tea estates of Valparai, where the living situations are conducive to the theme of the film. The story goes on to talk about the consequences of such relationships that go against the grain of society,” says Joo.
Mom's the word
Actor Jayachitra, a veteran of over 200 films, produces and directs her son Amaresh Ganesh, who debuts with Naane Ennul Illai . Amaresh has also scored the music for the film, written two songs and even rendered one! This is probably the first time that a mother is producing and directing her son.
Second time lucky?
After Vallamai Tharayo , which was her grand entry into mainstream Tamil cinema as director, Madhumita is waiting for the release of Kola Kolaya Mundirikka . Her debut film as director got mixed reactions. While it won the Best Family Film award from the Tamil Nadu State Government for 2008 and various other citations, it did not fare too well as it was released along with big-budget movies. “But, I am not disgruntled, as the audience loved it. As for Kola Kolaya Mundirikka , it is a total entertainer, and Crazy Mohan is in his elements. This will prove my credentials as a director who can tackle different genres,” says Madhumita.
