Vilangu, the upcoming Tamil web series, starring actor Vimal, is an investigative thriller, director Prashanth Pandiraj tells Silverscreen India. It is set to premiere on February 18 on Zee5.
The trailer was recently released by actor Sivakarthikeyan. Vilangu marks the OTT debut of the actor and will be backed by Madan, under the Escape Artists Motion Pictures banner.
Pandiraj, who had earlier helmed GV Prakash Kumar‘s Bruce Lee, says, “Vimal plays a cop, at a police station set in contemporary times, amidst a rural backdrop, in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. It will explore the everyday lives of cops, how they navigate through their jobs without the use of advanced technology to solve crimes. It has been filmed with a realistic approach, as much as possible. There are murder mysteries, jewellery theft cases, and several other issues probed by the cops, throughout the series.”
The filmmaker said that Vilangu will have seven episodes, each with a running time of 30-40 minutes. While Dinesh Kumar Purushothaman is the cinematographer, the editing is done by Ganesh. The show’s soundtrack is composed by Ajeesh.
Apart from Vimal, the film will also feature actors Munishkanth, Bala Saravanan, and late RNR Manohar as police officials, while Ineya essays the role of Vimal’s wife. Pandiraj says that Vimal was cast to break away from the stereotype that portrays police officials as well-built.
“Most parts of the story will be set inside the police station. Vilangu typically means handcuffs or animal in Tamil, and the story will have a connection to both these elements,” he adds.
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The director, who had also written the script of the series in 2020, said that he pitched it to the producers as a film. However, they suggested that it would work better as a series, owing to its vast content, notes Pandiraj.
“I have friends from the police department, who widely contributed to research for this script. We began shooting for Vilangu in March 2021, and completed it in the later half of the year, in Trichy. Depending on the success of this season, we may roll out consecutive installments. But the first season will help me shape the premise of the storylines and characters,” he mentions.