A clutch of Malayalis have made their dream about making a film come true in Tamil Nadu, away from the home turf, where big budget films and superstars rule the screen.
The Tamil film ‘Aarvam’ has appeared in theatres in the city now after enjoying a 50-day run on Tamil Nadu screens. Predictably, the people behind it, mostly Malayalis, are thrilled. They hope to work a similar magic at home also with ‘Aarvam.’
‘’True, we are still enjoying the thrill of a success,’’ says director and scriptwriter of the film Adithyan.
Apart from Adithyan, the hero Sathya, the film’s producer Anil Dev, executive producer Sanju S Sahib, music director Rony Raphael, art director Anil Sreeragam and make-up man Binoy are the other Malayalis behind ‘Aarvam.’
The team had cashed in on the market for low-budget films in Tamil Nadu, which exist side by side with the big budget films such as ‘Enthiran.’ ‘Aarvam’ cost just ` 1.5 crore, which included releasing costs, according to Adithyan.
‘’In Tamil Nadu, people are interested in watching small budget films made with newcomers. You don’t find such encouragement in Kerala,’’ says producer Anil Dev. ‘’Such films are held together only by a strong storyline and the way it is told. But rarely are these films released in theatres in Kerala,’’ he said. According to him, the Tamil filmdom is a place where talented Malayalis can try their hand at successfully.
Actor Sathya hails from Nedumangad and used to be a familiar face to viewers of Jai Hind channel, where he had worked as a presenter. He says he had the jitters when ‘Aarvam’ was released because it coincided with the release of ‘Enthiran.’
‘’My first film, and I thought my fate was sealed. But the film managed to finish fourth on the charts. It is still running in C classes theatres there,’’ he said.
trivandrum@newindianexpress.com