Reporting by Janani K; Photos by Sriram Narasimhan. Photos from the press meet are below the report.
The rain is so loud, that you can hear it inside Prasad Labs. Everyone has geared up for the second round of #ChennaiRains. Meanwhile, fellow journalists and photographers trickle into the hall. Then come the cast and crewmembers of Sundar C’s production venture Hello Naan Pei Pesaren. There’s a little round conference table with the captain of the ship, producer Sundar C, mediating the discussion. Aishwarya Rajesh, Oviya, VTV Ganesh and Singam Puli patiently listen. Vaibhav Reddy, Thalapathi Dinesh and Siddharth Vipin give it a miss.
The audio launch kicked off with the trailer and a couple of songs, and Hello Naan Pei Pesaren looked like a solid commercial horror film. Host Monica called hero Vaibhav Reddy on stage, and Vaibhav thanked both Sundar C and Kushboo Sundar. He said that Oviya and Aishwarya Rajesh would portray ghosts in Hello Naan Pei Pesaren.
Aishwarya Rajesh, who is riding high with Kaaka Muttai‘s success, said there would be no ghosts till the intermission. She said, “If you’re wondering about what’s new with this horror film, the ghost uses a cell phone as its medium, and the screenplay treatment is different.” Technology, it would seem, touches everything. Even the supernatural.
Comedy artist Singam Puli was full of emotion as he reminisced about working with Sundar C, as an assistant director. He said, “I can proudly say that I have worked the longest with Sundar C.” When actor Yogi Babu came on stage, he seemed overwhelmed, and said, “I’ve acted in so many films, but this is the first time I’ve been called on the dais to speak.“
Some cast members talked seriously about their experience with the film. Others, like Vaibhav Reddy, Aishwarya Rajesh, and Oviya, were busy taking selfies. Well, it’s almost a prerequisite these days. Not surprisingly, given the wet weather and flooding, Oviya could be heard telling Vaibhav that she was running a temperature.
Music director Siddharth Vipin said that no deadlines had been given to them, and they had been free to compose as they liked. Meanwhile, a little to the side, Oviya and Aishwarya Rajesh exchanged compliments over each other’s well-groomed nails.
Director Bhaskar said he had met Sundar C on the sets of Naalaiya Iyakkunar. He completed the story of Hello Naan Pei Pesaren in just three days, even though he had 10 days to work with. “It was on February 20. Sundar C called me to his office and I narrated the first half of the story. After listening to it, he said he would produce the movie,” he said.
Usually, audio CDs are launched by a prominent celebrity. But on this occasion, it was senior journalist Devi Mani who launched the audio.
