Yaanai Mugathaan, starring Yogi Babu and Ramesh Thilak in the lead roles, is a fantasy centred on Lord Vinayagar. Directed by Malayalam filmmaker Rejishh Midhila, known for films like Varikkuzhiyile Kolapathakam and Innumuthal, Yaanai Mugathan marks his Tamil debut.
When asked why he suddenly chose to make a film in Tamil, he says, “This isn’t sudden at all, I’ve wanted to do a Tamil film for a long time because I am a big fan of Tamil films. I actually tried to make my directorial debut with a Tamil film, but it didn’t materialise.”
Coming to his upcoming release, the filmmaker says, “Yaanai Mugathaan is about an autorickshaw driver (Ramesh Thilak) who is an ardent devotee of Lord Vinayagar. While he is an extremely religious person, he is unscrupulous in his day-to-day life. One day he finds he can’t see his favourite god anymore. He then starts searching for Vinayagar, which forms the rest of the story.”
While the premise sounds interesting, he cautions us that the film does not comment on religion or debates about spirituality. He says, “The film is about humanity.” Clarifying his stance on the portrayal of god in his film, the filmmaker says, “This is a fantasy film. We all would have an idea about how god will be, and this is an attempt to show that god could be like this as well.”
Yogi Babu, who plays a dual role in the film, will be seen portraying Lord Vinayagar. When asked about the decision to cast Yogi babu, Rejishh says, “This is not your typical Yogi Babu film. We have presented him differently. And bringing him in wasn’t a marketing decision either. We thought he would be perfect for the role and he has been so supportive all through the filming. He gave his all for the role.”
The director shares that the first half of the film takes place in Chennai while the second half takes us to a
village in Rajasthan next to the India-Pakistan border. With the filming and post-production having been completed two months ago, Yaanai Mugathaan is all set to hit the screens on April 14.