Report by Sanjana Chakraborty. Photographs by Sriram Narasimhan.
The press meet of Enakku Innoru Per Irukku kicked off with some drama as camerapersons argued over space. As we waited for the stars, music director and actor GV Prakash and actress Anandhi to show up, we couldn’t help noticing the number of men (photographers, actor, editor, reporters, assistant directors et al) sporting beards. Could it be ‘No-shave November’ already?
3:00 pm. Director Sam Anton and cinematorgrapher Krishnan Vasant arrive punctually, pose for cameras and give a few soundbites to the TV channels. Meanwhile, Public Relations Officers (PROs) and journalists chatted animatedly about everything from cinema gossip to instant messaging application WhatsApp’s new features.
3:30 pm. The lead duo walk in with photographers on their trail. It’s clear that the lighting at the Radissons Blu’s hall is to their liking.
3:50 pm. The event officially begins with the core team finally on stage. The trailer and two songs from the film are played. The first is ‘Myma’, a catchy song with the actor dressed in outlandish suits and koothu dancing whilst chasing the heroine. The second, ‘Kannai Nanbathey’, is a rendition of an old MGR song. The video has a drunk GV Prakash dancing with fishermen at the Marina Beach. Needless to say, it’s a typical heartbreak song with an inebriated hero advising everyone to avoid falling in love.
The trailer showed the lead character go into a frenzy with an aruval (billhook) in hand, blood in the air, twitching and muttering the title of the film “enakku innoru per irukku”, often with a listless stare.
Speeches
Describing it as a family entertainer, cinematographer Krishnan Vasant said, “To me it was a second outing with Sam Anton and team. Fun film and we hope we entertain you.” It’s also the second collaboration between Anandhi and GV Prakash, after last year’s Trisha Illana Nayanthara. Anandhi reiterated that the film would be enjoyable to watch with the family.
Director Sam Anton talked about the events that led up to the film’s production, “I remember narrating the story to GV around the time Darling was released. He regularly asked me for updates about the film. It was going slow but it has paid off.” He also praised the lead duo’s work, “There’s a lot of dancing in this film. Have to thank GV for getting it right and the technical team under Krishnan. Moreover, Anandhi was sincere in her work especially in her dialogue delivery and proper lip-sync.”
GV Prakash, who has also directed the music in the film, credited production house (Lyca Productions), “I wanted the film to work under a big banner. We approached other production houses but this worked out well.” He added, “Most importantly, it’s the assistant directors and stunt persons whom I should thank more. Their contributions were extremely important for the film.”
Highlights
Asked what the other name of the character refers to, GV Prakash said it was a reference to the character’s other side, hinting at a mental disorder. After the event, Prakash clarified that the character wasn’t a ‘psychopath’ but was someone with an associative disorder.
Meanwhile, former actor turned reporter Bayilvan Ranganathan reprimanded GV Prakash for associating an MGR song (‘Kannai Nanbathey’) with alcohol. Speaking from the back of the room, and refusing to let Prakash get a word in, Ranganathan said it was offensive, considering MGR’s stature. Prakash apologised, and said it was an inspiring song he had loved from the moment he first heard it. As the audience applauded Prakash’s response, the event (and the potential drama) was wrapped up then and there.
Release
The film releases on June 17.
