Would you prefer watching a movie with a popular star ensemble or one starring mainly differently-abled children?
Malayalam actor and national award winner Salim Kumar is also waiting for an answer. His directorial debut, Compartment , with the main cast comprising differently-abled children, did not receive a proper response from Malayali audiences when it was released in February. He has decided to re-release the movie in April, which is holiday season. “I started shooting the movie in November last year and it was completed in a month. I would love to release the movie in Chennai as I am sure of a good response. In Tamil Nadu, people give more respect to such children,” the actor said.
The movie is about the lives of special children. “I have conveyed the message in a humorous way. It speaks about how such children are compartmentalised and how some of them strive to succeed despite it. They always provide a supporting shoulder to each other,” the actor said.
Salim was inspired to make the movie when Sattar, a differently-abled boy from his hometown, gifted him Rs. 1 lakh at a function. He was moved by the gesture.
“The child actors in my film did not have any inhibitions and were not given any training in acting. I was very happy working with them. All of us have a lot to learn from them,” he said. The actor wants to dedicate his film to the parents of special children.
The shortest lunar eclipse of the century may be coming up this Saturday, but mention the phenomenon to debutant director Elan and all he talks about is his upcoming film Grahanam . The puja for the film produced by Param V. Potluri with actor Kreshna in the lead will be held on Friday.
“The story is about incidents happening during an eclipse. Since eclipses are not considered auspicious and are associated with darkness, this story is titled Grahanam ’,” says Elan, an aeronautical engineer, who graduated from Jeppiar Engineering College in 2013. The director, son of ‘Stills’ Pandian, is not new to the industry and has made a few short films.
“As in his earlier films, Kreshna’s role in Grahanam too will be unique.
It’s a thriller and is set in Chennai.
The shooting will commence after April 15th,” Mr. Elan added. The heroine Nandini Rai too is a new face. The music is by Sundara moorthy.
(Reporting byVivek Narayanan and Deepa H. Ramakrishnan)
