Not every newbie gets to work with a top actor like Nayanthara in his first film. But Doss Ramasamy, former assistant of director Sarkunam, who made films like Kalavani (2010) and Vaagai Sooda Vaa (2011), is lucky! Making his debut with the forthcoming Tamil fantasy-crime thriller Dora, Doss says he can’t be happier.
“I worked as an assistant director to Sarkunam sir for 7 years. I wrote this script with a male protagonist in mind, but it was my mentor who suggested that I go with a female lead. I then thought of Nayanthara and wrote the script accordingly. The story revolves around Nayan and a car. She’s the hero and her image will help the film to a great extent,” says Doss.
The filmmaker adds that Dora will not be a typical horror film that objectifies ghosts. “The ‘Dora’ element in the film is a surprise in itself. It has nothing to do with any cartoon character. I’ve tried to make the script as sensible and interesting as possible and don’t want to do something that scares people. The script has something more to it that resonates on an emotional level. There will only be a few ghost scenes; it’s not entirely a horror script. Harish Uthaman of Thani Oruvan (2015) fame plays a pivotal role and Thambi Ramaiah plays Nayanthara’s dad.”
Doss adds that the Raja Rani (2013) star is down-to-earth, dedicated, and a thorough professional. “We have completed 30 days of shooting and have shot in and around Chennai. It’s easy to direct Nayan and she makes you feel comfortable on the sets — she’s cheerful! Her love for this genre and the involvement she shows enable us to connect with the vision of the film easily. In fact, she doesn’t have starry airs. She’s always open to suggestions,” he smiles.
While Dinesh cranks the camera, Dora will have Mervin and Solomon working on the music. Director Sargunam is producing the film and Nemichand Jhabak will distribute it. Meanwhile, Nayanthara is busy with Karthi’s Kashmora and Vikram-Nithya Menen-starrer Iru Mugan.