Director Sakthi Chidambaram, who has collaborated with Prabhu Deva in Charlie Chaplin (2002) and Charlie Chaplin 2 (2019), is reuniting with the actor-filmmaker for the third time for a yet-to-be-titled film.
Sakthi shares that the unique highlight of his film will be that for the first time in Indian cinema, the star of his film, Prabhu Deva, will play a dead body for the entirety of the film. “A Tenkasi-based family finds a dead person, and are forced to go on a journey that makes them reach Kodaikanal. How the family struggles with this unprecedented situation and goes to all lengths to give him a proper farewell will form the rest of the story,” he says, adding that this film will delve into the genre of dark comedy while being a fun-filled ride for everyone.
Stating that he had worked on the story for three years, Sakthi says that it is inspired by true events that he heard from a friend back in his hometown of Sattur which is near Virudhunagar. Sakthi explains that he chose Prabhu Deva since he is a dancer and is very flexible with his body.
“It is extremely difficult to play a dead person. He needs to hold his breath for a long duration, not blink his eyes or move his body. The role is not as easy as it sounds. Remember Nagesh sir from Magalir Mattum? I envisioned such a character who is not playing a dead person for 15 minutes, but for the entire film,” he adds.
Apart from Prabhu Deva, the film will star Madonna Sebastian, and actor Abhirami as her mother. Known for the comedy ensemble in his films, Sakthi’s next will feature Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley, Robo Shankar, John Vijay, Sai Dheena, Madhusudhan Rao and Yashika Aanand in pivotal roles. With the film’s shoot wrapped up last week, it is currently in the post-production stage.
Backed by Transindia Media and Entertainment, the film was shot in Tenkasi, Kodaikanal, Chennai, and Puducherry. The technical crew comprises of composer Ashwin Vinayagamoorthy, cinematographer MC Ganesh Chandra, and editor Ramar.