Mazhai Pidikatha Manithan, the upcoming Tamil film starring actor-musician Vijay Antony in the lead, is an action film based on a real-life incident that took place in Madurai, director SD Vijay Milton tells Silverscreen India.
The film’s title poster was recently released by various celebrities, including actor Arya, on social media.
Mazhai Pidikatha Manithan is produced by Kamal Bohra, Lalitha Dhananjayan, Pradeep B, Pankaj Bohra, and S Vikram Kumar.
Speaking to us about the film, Vijay Milton says, “It won’t be a very loud action film. In brief, it is about a stranger in a strange land. The reason for the title is that the protagonist’s past has a connection to rain and includes some tragic events. Therefore, he does not like rain. We have treated the element of rain as one of the characters in the film.”
The cast also includes Megha Akash, Sarath Kumar, Kannada actors Daali Dhananjaya and Pruthvi Ambaar, and Murali Sharma.
“The story is primarily about what happens between the characters played by Vijay Antony, Sarath Kumar, Dhananjaya, and Pruthvi,” says the director, adding that Ambaar essays the protagonist’s friend, while Saranya Ponvannan plays the role of a mother.
On casting Vijay Antony in the lead, he says, “I felt that this story would be a good fit for Vijay Antony and his body language. We have been long-time friends and have known each other since 2006, even before he became an actor. Once I narrated the story, he liked it and came on board.”
Vijay Milton, who is primarily a cinematographer, has also written the film’s script, and is handling the direction of Mazhai Pidikatha Manithan and serving as its director of photography. Speaking about managing multiple roles on the sets, he says, “I’ve gotten used to it. As a director, this is my sixth film, and as DOP, it’s my 32nd one. I started my career as an assistant director and then studied cinematography. I also come from a family of directors. So all the roles seem like one job to me.”
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Vijay Antony too is juggling more than one role for this project. The actor will also be composing the songs for the film, while Achu Rajamani is working on the background score. Supreme Sundar is the film’s action choreographer.
The film is currently in the final stages of shooting. “We were supposed to get started with the shooting before the first lockdown, but due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, it got delayed. We still have a few portions left to shoot in the last schedule,” says the director, adding that the film has been shot in Goa, Diu, and Daman.
When asked about the film’s release, Vijay Milton tells us the team is planning on a theatrical release, sometime in May.