burma1
We have attended a few press meets that began on time. Quite a few. But we have never been a part of an event where all the artistes have already arrived before the media. That way, the Burma team took us by surprise. A bunch of eager and nervous debutants – from the director to the music composer – the crew consisted of actors and technicians trying to carve a niche for themselves. Except perhaps for the lead actor, Michael Thangadurai. A versatile dancer, we have watched him on reality shows, while a couple of his movies are also lined up for release.
When director Dharanidharan signed on Michael for the lead role, he just had one instruction for him:
“Dai Michael, shave mattum pannadha. Moonu maasathukku!”
The director doesn’t regret it, for Michael looks like the typical North Madras youngster in the movie. But we did wonder whether Royapuram youth sport wayfarers these days. Reshmi Menon essays the role of Michael’s love interest in Burma; and Dharanidharan’s reason for casting her is quite simple. The director chose her because he hates prompting dialogues to heroines. And Reshmi, to her credit, spoke good Tamil on stage. She did mix up her ‘zhas’ and ‘las’ sometimes, but she made a sincere attempt all the same.
Other than Reshmi Menon, Dharanidharan and actress Valli – who will be seen as a villain in Burma – composer Sudharshan and the supporting cast were all clad in white. The crew laughed at their inside jokes, clapped hard after speeches – which we doubt were rehearsed – and were pretty pleased with themselves. Actors Sabesh Karthik and Madhu Raghurram, who are part of the supporting cast, were seen making fun of Reshmi. They often called her ‘Noodles’. That, apparently, is the name of her character. “It’s a cute role. I keep eating through out the film,” she said. Composer Sudharshan, an alumnus of AR Rahman Music Institute, revealed that he had attempted to use different kinds of music as the background score for each character.
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Burma, set in North Madras, follows the lives of car-seizers. Dharanidharan added that the flick is named after a real-life car seizer – Burma – who lives in Chennai. “Don’t worry. We have got the NOC from him,” he laughed.
Sudharshan Vembutty, who lives in the US, and who loved Dharanidharan’s ‘out-of-the-box thinking’ produces the film. While Dharanidharan had come armed with a neat PowerPoint presentation on the film, he strangely reminded us of Parthiban; with his aphorisms, sarcasm and sense of humour.
Producer CV Kumar launched the audio and trailer of the film, the Burma team accepted the ‘Rice Bucket Challenge’, and we called it a day. With a stab of disappointment, all the same. Burma features actors Atul Kulkarni and Sampath Raj in vital roles, but both handsome stars couldn’t attend the press meet.
The movie is scheduled for release on September 12.