Vaaitha, the upcoming Tamil film starring actors Nassar and Mu Ramasamy, is set to be a courtroom drama that questions the authenticity of the judical system, the film’s director Mahivarman CS tells Silverscreen India.
Produced by K Vinothkumar, the film is scheduled to hit theatres on May 27.
Speaking about his directorial debut, Mahivarman, who had previously assisted late filmmaker Thamira, says, “Vaaitha is set against the backdrop of the Salem District Court and talks about the corruption that takes place there. It can be said that this film is the first of its kind because courtroom dramas so far have not criticised or questioned court, as of yet. It questions the genuinity of lawyers, court, and judges.”
He adds, “The story follows an elderly man, who gets hurt due to an accident and how he gets caught up in a court case. The crux of the story explores whether he gets the compensation owed to him or not. The justice denied for a simple man is perhaps the tagline of the story. The film also deals with the idea of casteism; how upper-caste people would have been responsible for causing the accident and how other parties get affected by it, the most.”
Mahivarman, who also wrote the script back in 2017, says that he was inspired by an incident that his friend’s father had experienced. “He had met with an accident, after which we had to go to court. I saw similar accident cases and I realised that there has been a mafia system involving insurance companies, lawyers, court staff etc. They deal with the accident cases free of cost, because they benefit out of the compensation the victims receive. Sometimes, police stations themselves keep lawyers informed about accident cases,” he notes.
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In Vaaitha, while Nasser essays a noble lawyer, Mu Ramasamy, who has appeared in films like KD and Joker, takes on the role of the injured elderly man. Pugal Mahendran, son of politician C Mahendran, plays Ramasamy’s son. Other cast members include Powlen Jessica, Regin Rose (NSD), Thirunavukkarasu and Muthu Azhagarsamy.
The film went on floors in 2019 and was wrapped up in 2020. The release was postponed for two years due to the ongoing pandemic and is censored with U/A certificate. “We had another title called Ekali. It denotes a community of people, who predominantly iron clothes. However, censor board authorities had asked us to remove the name of the caste. Vaaitha means ‘to adjourn’,” Mahivarman mentions.
The film was shot in Chennai, Dharmapuri and Salem, by cinematographer RJ Sethumurugavel Angharagan. The music is composed by Loceshwaran C, with editing done by Naresh Gunaseelan. Vaaitha has six songs, including numbers that will offer critiques on the court and the caste system.