Thalaikoothal, the upcoming Tamil film starring actors Kathir and Samuthirakani, commenced production recently. Its director Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan calls it a rural drama revolving around the titular euthanasia ritual, which also has a fantasy element to it.
The film is produced by S Sashikanth of Y Not Studios, which has previously backed films like Mandela and Jagame Thandhiram. It is co-produced by Chakravarthy Ramachandra.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Jayaprakash, who has earlier helmed Lens and The Mosquito Philosophy, says, “Thalaikoothal is a village-based story and can be categorised as a drama film. The story is about a problem encountered by one family and how they deal with it. There is a bit of a dream/fantasy element to the film.”
Jayaprakash, who has also written the film, explains that the title, Thalaikoothal, refers to a ritual that is practised in rural areas of Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu. It is a form of traditional involuntary euthanasia done to the elderly. The film is set against the backdrop of this ritual, he adds. “After Lens, I got to know about this ritual and I began to research it. Subsequently, I fictionalised it for this script. I worked on the script for almost four years.”
Apart from Kathir and Samuthirakanni, actors Vasundhara Kashyap and Vayapuri are also part of the cast, which will feature new faces as well.
Recommended
“The film’s main location is Kovilpatti, and we will also be shooting in Kutralam, Tenkasi, and the surrounding areas of that belt,” says the director.
With filming currently underway in Kovilpatti, shooting is expected to be wrapped in January. Martin Donraj is handling the cinematography of Thalaikoothal. Dani Charles, who previously edited Jayaprakash’s The Mosquito Philosophy, is once again collaborating with the director on this film. The filmmaker says a music composer has not been finalised yet.