ALTHOUGH he made his debut with the children’s film Ganapathy Vandachu, his big break was when he played the part of Rajendra Chozhan in Uliyin Osai, written by Kalaignar Karunanidhi. After a brief tryst with history, Udhay is awaiting the release of Thirupur this Friday.
“Thirupur - A Tale Of True Friendship revolves around four friends. Keshav, the protagonist, narrates the film in flashback.
His journey from Palani to Tirupur in search of a girl he wishes to marry forms the story. The second half of the film is fast-paced and has a lot of chase sequences.
The film is shot predominantly in Tirupur and in parts of Palani. During the shoot of the film, I ran through many of the streets of Tirupur.
Now I know all the streets of Tirupur by heart. And believe me, every single resident of Tirupur is looking forward to the release of the film,” says Udhay.
Has it got anything to do with the textile boom there? “No, it is just about four friends. Cameraman Dhandayudhapani has done a great job,” he says. Will this film do well considering that films based on friendship and travel are dime a dozen in Tamil cinema? “I am sure it will appeal to the audiences because although the subject is not new, the treatment is different,” he says. The film is directed by Duraisamy and produced by Dharamaraj under the banner, Friends Productions.
A three-film-old Malayalam actress, Unnimaya plays the female lead.
Talking about the Uliyin Osai experience he says, “The chief minister would often come to the shooting spot accompanied by MLAs and ministers. To act in front of them made me nervous, but the CM appreciated my acting. Vineeth never missed an opportunity to encourage my work,” he says.