When the posters of actor Arya’s next, Purampokku Engira Podhuvudamai , in which he was seen dressed up as an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter, Bhagat Singh, were made public, trade pundits from the industry stacked the odds against the film since the actor is known for playing the romantic, high-spirited boy-next-door. Asked if he ever thought that playing a revolutionary was a big risk, Arya said that he trusted S.P. Jhananathan, the film’s director. “I don’t think people want to see me doing the same kind of films. This is purely a director’s film. The film is centred around my character. The film manages to pass on a great message even while providing wholesome entertainment,” he says.
The actor will be back doing what he does best in his subsequent releases: Yatchan , VSOP ( Vasuvum Saravananum Onna Padichavanga ) and a Tamil remake of hit Malayalam film, Bangalore Days. “ Yatchan is an action comedy, while VSOP, which is directed by M. Rajesh, will be a thorough laugh riot,” he said.
Speaking about the remake of Bangalore Days, the actor said that the Tamil version will go through enough tweaks to suit the taste of the Tamil audiences. “It won’t be an exact reproduction of the Malayalam version. We have also managed to put together a great star cast, which includes the likes of Bobby Simha and Rana Daggubati,” he said.
Tales of refugees on the screen now
The story of the Sri Lankan refugees in the state will soon unfold on screen. Rajini-starrer Kazhugu fame director Sakthishiva is back with another unusual milieu for his upcoming movie ‘Sivappu’.
While Naveen Chandra and Rupa Manjari are the lead pair, actor Rajkiran has a meaty role. The story revolves around the refugees in the State who yearn for citizenship. “There is also a deep love story intertwined in the plot. We have shot the film in Puducherry, Rameswaram and Visakhapatnam,” says Sakthishiva who interviewed several refugees for the film.
Some refugees have also worked as dubbing artistes and featured in the film. “The backdrop of the film made it challenging for us. We chose ‘Sivappu’ as the word has many shades of meaning-love, communism and poverty,” adds Sakthishiva. Writer Manushyaputhiran has also done a cameo role for the movie. Madhu Ambat has handled the camera and N.R.Raghunanthan is the music composer for the film.
(Reporting by Udhav Naig and K. Lakshmi)
