Arya, the hero:
He has essayed a lot of exciting roles in the past. But this role truly promises to show him in new light. As the rustic youth Ilamparuthi in ‘Madrasapattinam’, the period film which is set for a grand release on July 9, all that Arya has to say is, “Whoever watches this movie will like our work, applaud our efforts and will not be disappointed.”
He continues, “The USP of this film is the period it is set in: 1945-1947. As the whole nation fights for the freedom of our nation, here is a rustic wrestler and the daughter of a governor, a rich vivacious girl, madly in love, who stand by each other and fight against all odds. It’s a love story set against a period and ‘independence’ plays an important role throughout.”
Recollecting pleasant memories of shooting for the film he says, “I like ‘Madrasapattinam’ better than Chennai. It was delightful even to think that people used to row boats in the Cooum river. A glimpse of old Madras normally brings those B/W pictures of the Central Railway Station, the Presidency, the beach and more, and art director Selva has done an amazing job in recreating these places to actual size, after a lot of research.”
Talking about the challenges while working on this film he says, “I play a dhobi (washerman) who is also a wrestler. Working on any film is a learning experience and I learnt wrestling and it’s techniques here. We used to work for 16-17 hours everyday during the course of which I believe director Vijay and cinematographer Nirav Shah hardly slept. They would be in by six in the morning.”
About his co-star Amy Jackson, Arya is full of praise. “I am amazed at Amy’s professionalism and her commitment to work. This being her first film ever and coming down from a city like London, adjusting to the climate here was a big challenge for her. I remember she nearly fainted because of the sultry weather. But she never complained and took her scenes seriously. She truly is the soul of the film.”
One moment that he cherishes a lot is the Independence eve shot.
“It was a pleasant coincidence, when we were shooting that scene — August 14, 1947. And it was shot on the same date last year. We did not plan it, it just happened that way,” he says.
Arya sure is positive about the wrestler in ‘Madrasapattinam’, but he also has other releases lined up — ‘Chikku Bukku’, ‘Boss Engira Baskaran’ (for which he has acquired complete rights) director Bala’s ‘Avan Ivan’, for which he’s already shooting with a new look. He is also concentrating on his maiden production venture ‘Padithurai’, under the banner The Show People. “Wearing various hats like acting and production is a unique experience. They are completely different departments,” he smiles.
- Shankaran Malini
Amy Jackson, the heroine:
“It was because of director Vijay that I got the movie opportunity and I’m so thankful to him,” exclaims Amy Jackson, who is playing the love interest of Arya in the movie.
A model and now an actress, Amy couldn’t stop talking about Vijay and co-star Arya. “Vijay is an amazing director and he knows exactly what he wants and won’t stop until that is achieved. Every single scene is perfect and that’s what will make ‘Madrasapattinam’ stand out from the crowd,” she adds.
As for Arya, she smiles and says, “Arya is a fantastic actor. He helped me a lot by giving me the guidance and advice I needed. I have a lot of admiration for him and I feel very lucky to have worked with him.”
Amy gives equal priority to both modeling and acting. “I take my modelling career seriously. I feel very fortunate to be a model and I truly love it. I’ve had the chance to look at several Indian fashion magazines and realised that the style is very similar to that in the UK. The only difference I’ve noticed is that beauty pageants and modeling go hand-in-hand here, whereas in England that is not the case. The majority of London agencies are not interested in whether you have won a pageant or not, and it doesn’t make you more favourable as a model,” opines Amy. “I want to do more Indian films,” gushes the actress.
Selvakumar, the art director:
The most significant aspect of a period film lies in its art direction. The man behind this area of expertise — the art director — concentrates on each and every frame to give that feel of a period film. ‘Madrasapattinam’ is one such film that has created a huge wave of expectation with its visuals — right from the stills to its audio launch and film posters, the art director’s works are much talked about.
Says Selvakumar, the man behind the art direction, “We did three months of research before the commencement of the shoot. Even before I met director Vijay I was hugely inspired by old Madras and was also reading books of historian Muthiah. At about the same time Vijay spoke to me about the script and we started doing extensive research.”
Set in 1945-46, ‘Madrasapattinam’ gives us an insight into old Madras. Despite budget constraints, the art director has made best use of the script given to him. In a budget of six crores, with the extended use of Computer Graphics, the sets are said to be close-to-reality. “History itself gives us surprises and when we started our research, we got a lot of interesting anecdotes from the personal assistant of Rajaji. It was fascinating to note how the name ‘Madras’ was coined and the place where the Governors stayed. We have used the Mysore Palace to shoot and also erected a set to shoot interior scenes,” explains the art director, who has worked with art director Sabu Cyril, and started his debut with the film ‘Iyarkai’.
Among the other highlights of the film, the sets of Central Station and Mount Road are said to be most important. “Towards the end of the film, a 20-minute sequence takes place at Central station,” says Selvakumar. “Though everything was preplanned, there were times when we needed to use our own imagination. Some scenes were shot in 360 degrees too and Computer Graphics (CG) have played a vital role. We’ve used old cars and buses,” adds Selvakumar.