9:15 in the morning, not too long ago, found me on the bustling streets of Pondy Bazaar. Past the calls of the vendors, the busy bargaining, and the allure of colourful wares. It could have been a scene from a Vadivelu film when I – meandering on the road with my eyes one way – bumped into a fellow journalist, meandering equally slowly on his bike, looking the other way! We were both trying to find producer J Sathish Kumar’s office. Our combined brains made the more efficient decision to call up the PRO and get some proper directions, and soon, we had arrived. Past the massive gate, the sleek black Mercedes Benz parked close to the neatly maintained lush green lawn, and into the producer’s office. I saw artists from Kuttram Kadithal chatting casually. Soon the producer emerged from another room and the interview began.
Curious questions were directed at the fresh-faced debut actor Sai Rajkumar, who plays Manikandan in the movie. He seemed quite at ease with the camera and friendly interrogation. Answering a query on how he had landed the role, he said that initially he had been the casting director, and had been hunting for suitable artists himself. Then, “one fine day, the director Bramma came up to me and asked if I myself could act in the movie. I was initially hesitant but my director boosted my confidence.
In fact, none of us in the movie has acted, we have lived our roles.
Our director made it easy for us and would explain the feel of that scene which made us emote in a better way.”
In contrast to the free-flowing Rajkumar, music director Shankar was a man of few words and quite soft-spoken. Giving little away, he said “There are 8 songs in the movie, of which 7 are montage songs. Singer Madhu Balakrishnan has lent his voice for one song which has come out exceptionally well. We channelized our concentration on re-recording and worked hard for one-and-half months to perfect it. I am sure it will be a backbone to the movie.”
Of course, director Bramma was the man of the moment and we happily plied him with questions, all of which he answered with great patience. The master craftsman’s approach was evident as he listened to each question carefully, took his time to think through his answer, and spoke precisely. Seeing the man in person, it was no surprise to us that Kuttram Kadithal matched up so well even against the world’s best films.
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In the midst of this was a puny lad talking his way to glory. This was none other than Master Ajay. Quite comfortable with his colleagues, but shy before the camera.
Standing before a microphone bigger than himself, we were told that he liked to talk but didn’t like to be questioned.
Then with a proper greeting he began his story, “I was in school and was acting in school plays. Seeing my performance, director Bramma asked me if I would act in a movie. I said yes and he gave me a big scene to enact. I had to show him samples of my school plays to enter into the cast of Kuttram Kadithal.”
Kuttram Kadithal is set to release this week, along with Kirumi and Unakenna Venum Sollu. Kuttram Kadithal stars Master Ajay, Radhika Prasidhha, Sai Rajkumar, Pavel Navageethan, ‘Kulothungan’ Udayakumar, Durga Venugopal, and Nikhila Kesavan in important roles. The movie received a rousing response at the Chennai International Film Festival, and has gained acclaim and recognition in many other international film festivals as well. Despite its award-winning performance, the director and other crew members unanimously stated that they did not work with awards in mind. As far as they are concerned, Kuttram Kadithal is made for general people, to enjoy themselves at the theatre.
*****
