The trailer of Cinderella, the upcoming Tamil-Telugu horror fantasy film starring actor Raai Laxmi in the lead, was unveiled by actor Dhanush on social media on Wednesday.
Cinderella is set to release theatrically on September 24, in both languages.
Written and directed by debutant filmmaker Vinoo Venketesh, the film is backed by the SSI Production banner.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Vinoo revealed that Raai Laxmi plays three roles in the film.
“I have tried to break the stereotypical template of horror by getting away from the haunted house element. Cinderella is a female-centric film whose fantasy element is drawn from the fairy tale of Cinderella, with some tweaks to suit the Indian context. The traditional Cinderella story does not have much to do with the film, and the connection to the fairy tale mostly comes from Raai Laxmi’s character,” he said.
The director added that a dress plays an important role in the film, much like in the fairy tale, and the life of Raai’s character will mirror that of Cinderella. “When I decided to write a female-centric script, about four years ago, two things came to mind – clothing and jewellery. I chose to go with the former. I wrote the flashback first. It’s an emotional one, and in it, Raai Laxmi plays a maid. That’s the connection to Cinderella. Secondly, the Cinderella gown is used in the film too.”
Apart from playing a maid, Raai will also be seen as a sound designer and as Cinderella, said Vinoo. Actors Sakshi Agarwal, Robo Shankar, and Anbu Thaasan are also part of the cast.
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The filmmaker added that there will be some humour elements, but clarified that the film is not a horror-comedy. The director also revealed that one of the characters in the film is recreated from ace comedian Vadivelu’s character in Singaravelan (1992).
Cinderella went on floors in 2019 and was wrapped in 2020 before the pandemic hit. It was shot by cinematographer Rammy in Chennai, Ooty, and Kodaikanal. The story is primarily set against the backdrop of the Western Ghats.
“The storytelling is localised, but treatment of the film, in terms of lighting and technical aspects, mirrors Western horror films,” the filmmaker added.
Ashwamithra has composed the music for the film, which features three songs. The album, however, will include four songs, according to the director.
Cinderella has been certified ‘U/A’ and has a runtime of two hours and five minutes.