The shoot of NOTA has resumed after the 48-day film strike in Kollywood. The film marks the introduction of Arjun Reddy-fame Vijay Devarakonda to Tamil cinema.
Needless to say, the pressure to deliver is high on the young hero. Despite not knowing how to speak Tamil fluently, the actor apparently agreed to do NOTA because he was impressed by director Anand Shankar’s script. The director shares that the actor apparently used the 48-day strike to work not just on his character but also to get a grip on the language. The events on the sets on Thursday left everyone with ample proof of his talent and dedication.
Anand Shankar tells us that he couldn’t believe what he’d seen. He says, “We were shooting at the EVP complex on the outskirts of Chennai. Apart from Vijay, the shot involved Sathyaraj sir and 200 junior artistes. Vijay had to utter a three-page dialogue in front of them. The scene was intense, and involved interaction with other characters, and would be tough for any actor to do.”
Typically, such a shot takes at least half-a-day to shoot, according to Anand. “We split it into at least six shots with several cuts in between. As Vijay is not fluent in Tamil, I thought it may take longer with him.” But did Vijay spring a surprise! “He completed the entire scene in fluent Tamil, in just one take! He went ahead at full steam hitting the right note with all the emotions. My half-day work plan was complete in just half an hour! At the end of the scene, the entire unit, including Sathyaraj sir, started clapping.”
The filmmaker is impressed with the thorough planning his hero engages in before reaching the sets.
“He has done a lot of homework with the script. I’ve noticed that he makes it a point to first understand the script. Then he makes an individual structure of his performance by himself. And once the camera rolls, he gets his performance just right. I think he’s out to prove himself in the Tamil industry and it shows. It’s sheer delight for a director to work with such a dedicated actor.” It’s no wonder then that a normally reticent Anand Shankar took to Twitter to express his feelings about this shot.