The teaser of the upcoming Tamil film Ward 126, starring actors Sonia Aggarwal and Michael Thangadurai in prominent roles, was released on social media by various film personalities, including actors Vijay Sethupathi and Santhanam, on Thursday.
The SSB Talkies production is written and directed by debutant filmmaker Sai Selva, who began his journey in show business in 2003 as a participant in Sun TV’s dance reality show Thillana Thillana.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Selva calls Ward 126 a “romantic investigative thriller” set in the backdrop of the IT and BPO sectors, which highlights issues faced by women.
“I had initially written this script in 2011. When I entered the industry about 15 years ago, I had many scripts in different genres, including a black comedy and a political thriller, but I thought my debut would be with a romance. However, trends changed to favour the thriller genre and many suggested going with that instead. I also needed some time to fine-tune the love story that I had in mind. For these reasons, and given the current climate where women’s issues are in focus, I chose to go with Ward 126,” he says.
The main plotline of Ward 126 explores the “dark side of IT companies and the BPO sector,” Selva tells us. He hints that the title of the film “will not be the end of the story, but the beginning of it.” Unwilling to reveal too much, he only adds, “There is an event happening in an area, and another event happening in an IT company. These events will unfold in the film in a non-linear way and culminate in the area called Ward 126. There is a surprise at the end.”
Asked if the story is based on true incidents, the filmmaker says, “These are events that are happening in society around us. Anyone who works in the IT domain, or has friends or family that do, must have come across the issues discussed in this film. There are many types of harassments faced by women, which lead to traumatic experiences for the victim and their family members. Ward 126 is a film that talks about this.”
While Selva had to make minor changes to the script of Ward 126 to suit the current times, he says no major changes were made to his original story. “I kept the knot of the film the same and only modified a few things. For example, a normal SMS back then will be updated to a WhatsApp message now,” he explains.
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The original plan was to shoot the film in February 2020, but the Covid-19 lockdown forced them to delay. “We eventually started filming in August 2020 and completed the shoot in May 2021. Since the script is based in three cities — Noida, Chennai, and Bangalore — we shot in all three places. However, a major portion of the film is set in Chennai.”
Selva is particularly proud of a two-minute-long scene that includes a flashback intertwined with a scene from the present. “I wanted to do something unique to establish my signature style. Hence, I decided to shoot the flashback concurrently with the current sequence in a single shot. It took us about half a day to prepare for this shoot. We also had to carefully design the costume for a character who is part of both the sequences, but in different attires — a saree and a nightgown. We had on-the-spot rehearsals and shot the whole thing within two hours with just two takes,” he reveals.
This scene, which was shot by cinematographer SK Suresh Kumar, features actors Michael Thangadurai, Sriman, and Chandini Tamilarasan, the filmmaker says, adding that he also makes a brief appearance in it.
Ward 126 is currently in the final stages of production and Selva says its release will depend on the prevailing conditions with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “Many who have seen the film say it is one that should be watched in theatres. But, OTT platforms are also looking for content-driven films. We have not yet decided which type of release we’ll go with.”
He adds that the film’s final copy will be sent to the CBFC for certification in a few days.
“After Ward 126, I will start working on the black humour script and the romance story that I mentioned earlier,” Selva says, as he signs off.