Studio 18, the production house behind the Veluppillai Prabhakaran biopic, has zeroed in on an actor to portray the slain LTTE leader, a statement said. The film titled The Raging Tigers will be directed by Venkatesh Kumar and more details about the film will be revealed as the shoot progresses.
Kumar had earlier directed Neelam, a movie based on the rise of rebel groups in Sri Lanka. The movie was denied clearance by the Censor Board, which stated that it would damage relations between the two countries. He then made other films such as Unakkul Naan and Lightman.
In an interview to Deccan Chronicle, Kumar said the Censor Board’s refusal to clear Neelam prompted him to take up this offer. “Neelam is about the rise and fall of rebel groups in Sri Lanka, and it also traced the breakout of the civil war. They objected to my depiction of the civil war. I think I have the freedom to depict Prabhakaran’s personal life,” he added.
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A student of late filmmaker Balu Mahendra, Kumar said the biopic would be a mainstream film and chronicle Prabhakaran’s life from the age of seven. “He made the world turn around and take notice of his cause,” added Kumar, who researched on his subject for close to eight years. “I’ve had a long relationship with Sri Lanka.”
Does he fear this film too will meet with trouble from the Censors? Not quite. He said his priority was completing the film. “I have alternative ideas for its release,” he said.
Image Courtesy: The Hindu