Back in the limelight is actor Shakthi, son of director P Vasu, with his comeback appearance in Tharkaapu — a film on encounters.
Talking to City Express, Shakthi says, “I have two dimensions in the film. I come as a don and also essay the role of an encounter specialist called Sakthivel IPS. The script is based on an encounter.”
Directed by R P Ravi, rumour mills have been abuzz that certain sequences are based on real-life incidents. Ask Shakthi about them and he replies quietly, “Yes, it is true. We have analysed a lot of such incidents with the help of police officers, encounter specialists and human rights activists.”
So, what is the message of the film? Says Shakthi, “A person’s death cannot be his punishment. It is just his end. This is the message. The film is about how an encounter originates and who is ordering an encounter.”
In his previous films, Shakthi had only done roles that portrayed him as a soft person. He says that he really had to sweat it out to master the tough look. “I lost 15 kg in about two months to look like a police officer. The last two weeks, in particular, have been exceptionally difficult,” he says.
“We shot the entire film in 85 days. Of these, the climax alone was shot in 21 days. There is a chase and several action sequences. We have suffered several injuries. In fact, one of the lightmen fell from the sixth floor and had to be hospitalised. He underwent a surgery and thankfully, he is now alright,” says Shakthi, who is confident that this film will do well at the box office.