It's entry into film production as Vikatan Talkies may have been viewed with suspicion but with 'Siva Manasula Shakthi’s success all doubts have been dispelled. Even as the production house has found no time to celebrate the success of its maiden production, work is on at breakneck speed for their second film, 'Valmiki' which will hit screens tomorrow. “Work at Vikatan is always about pursuing a moving target. We hardly find the time to celebrate any success,” begins B Srinivasan,MD, Vikatan Group.
'Valmiki' has been directed by debutant Ananth Narayanan, has Akil, Devika and Meera Nandan in the lead.
Ask him if the decision to introduce new directors in their production ventures was deliberate, and Srinivasan clarifies. “All that we need is for someone to tell us a good story. And both Rajesh (director of SMS) and Ananth convinced us. As the audience, and as producers, we ought to be entertained,” he says. But the aspiring filmmakers were not chosen without a judgement of their capacity, he clarifies. “Before the shoot begins, we make the directors shoot a selected portion of the film for a day. And it is only when we are convinced of his ability to convert his script on celluloid do we continue,” he reveals, adding that the scene when Anuya proposed to Jiiva in a wine shop was actually shot in that one day of test shoot in SMS.
While SMS was noted for its quirky dialogues and screenplay, 'Valmiki', he reveals, will be remembered for its strong characterisation. “The refreshing characterisation of the lead ladies will be noted in 'Valmiki',” he assures, calling it a rarity in an industry that reduces its heroines most often to cardboard characters.