Premji Amaren is thrilled. He will be seen playing a dual role in the film for which he will also score the music — first-time director R.S. Raja’s Manga. The actor-music director says, “The story is set in two time periods — 1950 and the present. In the first half of Manga, I sport a contemporary look. And then, I get a very ‘Gemini’ Ganesan and M.K. Thygaraja Bagavathar kind of look. It’s very retro, and that excites me.” He is paired with Haritha, a newcomer from Mumbai. The cast includes ‘Powerstar’ Srinivasan, Manobala, T.P. Gajendran and Uma Padmanabhan.
Family time
The audio launch of Yuvan Shankar Raja’s 100th film Biriyani is nearing, and the entire team is upbeat. The team is looking at roping in as many music directors — including those from Bollywood, as possible for the big day. Ask Yuvan if it’s a pressure having to deal with high expectations, and he says, “For me each film is a new experience, and I work hard to make it memorable for all. This film is a special family outing for me with Venkat Prabhu and Premji Amaren.” Biriyani has Karthi and Hansika in the lead, and is directed by Venkat Prabhu.
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The number ‘Uyirin Uyire’ from Vikram-starrer Thaandavam has bagged the MTV Award for Best Regional Music Video. For a novel appeal, the song had roped in sand art experts from Germany. A delighted A.L. Vijay (the film’s director) says, “We wanted to try something different for the song. As an idea, it seemed impossible. But we went ahead with it anyway, and shot it braving the cold weather in Dover, England. I think our determination has paid off. I thank my team, particularly the cinematographer and the editor, for the fantastic outcome.” The film’s music was by G.V. Prakash Kumar, cinematography by Nirav Shah and editing, Antony.