The much-awaited audio launch of Saamy Square, in which Vikram returns as upright cop Aarusaamy, was supposed to start at 6 pm, and by the time the needle of the clock dragged itself to 6.40, I had grown restless. Just four days into my first job as a film journalist, nobody bothered to tell me that events starting later than scheduled is the norm. As a result, I found myself wandering through the corridors of the posh Hilton Chennai in Guindy.
In my bid to kill time and come across as creative to anybody who noticed, I began photographing the plush décor. Yes, macro-photography of random objects makes for good Instagram posts too!
After there was nothing left on the corridors to photograph, I re-entered the venue. The seats had begun to fill up and visitor entry was being regulated. I was yet to get my office ID, and being new face, it was only natural that the gatekeepers did not recognise me. But then, I’ve always been the ‘avoid places where you have to show your ID’ kind of person. Just when the Shah Rukh Khan (another guy of middle-class origins known for being stopped at checkpoints) in me was about to take over, I took note of the Men in Black a.k.a bouncers with biceps big enough to burst through their black tees. Mercifully, the invite on the phone was my entry ticket! I entered a hall where unfamiliar Tamil tracks were playing in the background.
A quick online search taught me that the songs were from the movie whose audio launch I was attending and that the music was by Devi Sri Prasad, fresh from the mammoth success of Bharat Enu Nenu in Telugu. After switching between ‘Molagapodiye’ and ‘Athiroopane’, the PA system decided to play typical ‘wedding reception’ music – popular numbers with their souls sacrificed at the altar of uniqueness. Even after ‘Despacito’ and ‘My heart will go on’ bore the brunt of the music mixer, there was still no sign of the crew.
A little while later, director Hari arrived and requested the press to sit in front, to the tune of ‘Molagapodiye’ and ‘Athiroopane’, which were being played yet again. But, by the end of the evening, two more songs from the movie were released.
It was 7.20, and my eyes took in the many hugs and handshakes on display. The wait was for Vikram, the lead actor of the movie. Vikram finally arrived, and some juggling of seating arrangements later, the event found its rhythm.
Speaking later, Devi Sri Prasad said there was a reason for his delay: he had come up with another song for the film, one that celebrated the mother. “I had to finalise it and hand it over,” he said. On stage, actor Prabhu was flanked by actresses Aishwarya Rajesh and Keerthy Suresh.
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Everyone had nice things to say about the others, and praise was being showered upon the director. Speaking about the genesis of Saamy, veteran distributor Tirupur Subramaniam recalled how after seeing the success of Hari’s film Tamizh, he, director K. Balachander and producer Pushpa Kandasamy decided to give Hari Saamy, which released in 2003. “He joins the list of creators such as SP Muthuraman, P Vasu and KS Ravikumar, who are called ‘producers’ directors’,” he added.
Speaking about the film, Hari, known for his excessive use of shots featuring smashed vehicles, quipped that he can’t survive without the Sumo. “This film also features more than 20 Sumos, and we destroyed many of them,” he said, thanking producer Shibu Thameens for his support.
Actress Keerthy Suresh, who wowed all as Savitri in the biopic Mahanati, fondly remembered DOP Priyan, who passed away halfway through the shoot of the film; Venkatesh Anguraj wrapped up work. Vikram talked about how the original Saamy was a milestone in his career.