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Star gazing
Meeting point Four years after Soori, writer-director Selvan returns with Krishna Leelai, another angry hero subject. Jeevan plays the protagonist, and if your surmise is that it’s an amorous adventure on the lines of Manmadha Leelai, Selvan is out to prove you wrong. Meghna, a debutant, will play the lead opposite Jeevan. Being made under the prestigious Kavithalaya banner, Krishna Leelai, should be a big break for Selvan. “In Pushpa Kandaswamy and K. Balachander I have a producer and a great filmmaker, who love my story. Jeevan’s was the only face that came to my mind when I conceived the line and I was thrilled when KB agreed with my choice,” says Selvan.
Couple at work “It’s a family effort,” laughs Rohan Krishna, director of Lingusamy’s Pattaalam. Krishna’s wife Sheeba has written this story of nine adolescents, and their mentor played by Nathiya. The director has apprenticed under Priyadarshan and Santosh Sivan. “I went over to Mumbai to narrate the story to Nathiya. I was overjoyed when she said, ‘This is the kind of film I like to work in,’” he smiles. The youngsters, eight boys and a girl, were selected after several rounds of audition. “But, we found one of them at a cinema,” says Krishna. A gold medallist from the film institute, Rohan Krishna’s maiden short film, Paramapadam, won him a national award.
Dream debut Armed with the experience of having worked under directors Shankar and Gandhi Krishna, Ananthanarayanan enters the fray with Vaalmiki. “It’s a modern depiction of the life of Vaalmiki. But, my experiences, emotional tan gles and scars are the actual trigger,” says Ananth. Akil, the simple looking hero of Kalloori, Meera Nandan and Shruti Nair from Kerala play the lead roles. “We wanted our hero to be the typical boy on the road,” he explains. As a rarity, Ilayaraaja, the film’s composer, will begin composing its music only after shooting is completed. Says Ananth: “This way, we feel the impact will be more. And with a production house driven by quality (Vikatan Talkies) backing the project, what more can I ask for?”
Tense moments Venu Chander, who has played hero in a couple of Telugu films, enters the Tamil arena with Nalvaravu. Madhumita and Richa Pallod are his heroines. Nalvaravu is probably one of the last films the late Raghuvaran s hot for. “He had completed his part,” says Balasurya, an erstwhile assistant of filmmakers P. Vasu and M. Baskar. “‘Thalaivaasal’ Vijay and Kalairani have also done commendable work,” he adds. Balasurya is still to get over the shock of his hero jumping down from a height of 40 feet for an action sequence shot in Hyderabad. “The dupe was ready when Venu Chander suddenly decided to do it himself. My heart was in my mouth for a moment,” he recalls with a shudder.