Naduvan, the upcoming Tamil feature film starring actor Bharath in the lead, is set for a direct digital release on SonyLIV, the makers of the film announced on Thursday.
Written and directed by debutant filmmaker Sharang, the film also marks the maiden production venture of Cue Entertainment.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Sharang, who has previously acted in films such as Inidhu Inidhu and Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam, says, “Naduvan, which means middle man, is a thriller drama that is set against the hill station backdrop of Kodaikanal. Bharath plays the role of a businessman and certain negative events happen around him without his knowledge. People around him wear masks and are fake and not faithful. Finally, he understands what is happening and how he reacts forms the rest of the film.”
“When I approached Bharath, I told him that it was not a hero-oriented film but a story involving a lot of characters, of which his would be the main one. And he was game to try it out,” he adds.
Expanding on the rest of the cast, Sharang says the film also features theatre artist Aparna Vinod (who has acted in the Malayalam film Kohinoor), Gokul Anand, Aruvi Bala, and Yog Jaypee.
“Aparna plays Bharath’s wife, who has a child with him and is also a school teacher. We cast her through auditions. Gokul essays the role of Bharath’s business partner, and he was the first choice for his character. Yog Jaypee plays a police inspector.”
The filmmaker reveals that the film is divided into named segments and follows a non-linear screenplay. “I first conceived the idea for the backdrop of the climax. And then I started to write the script keeping that in mind because I wanted the story to end that way. It was sort of like reverse engineering.”
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The film was shot by cinematographer Yuva in Kodaikanal and Chennai in a single 45-day schedule, the director adds.
Sunny Sawrav has edited the film, which has a runtime of two hours and three minutes. Naduvan features three songs composed by Dharan.
Speaking about the film’s direct OTT premiere, Sharang says, “It is the production’s call. We made the decision before the reopening of theatres. We have not yet announced the release date, but it should be out by the end of the month.”
The filmmaker adds that Naduvan will be released in three languages, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu, with the latter two being dubbed versions.
Sharang is next working on a segment for a horror anthology and a thriller script for another feature film.