When a cinematographer turns director and makes a music composer play the lead role, apprehensions about making the flick look convincing are natural.
Jeeva Sankar agrees that he had sleepless nights for over two weeks when he started shooting 'Naan' in 2010.
“I have worked as a cinematographer in many films (including 'Aananda Thaandavam'), but 'Naan' is my film as a director and I was unsure if I could pull it off. Though Vijay Antony was confident about himself, I was sceptical as to how he would perform. So, the pressure on me was so much that I had to take pills to sleep,” he says. But Sankar admits he felt relaxed after he saw the output, where he claims Vijay Antony played his character precisely the way the director imagined him to.
Apart from playing the lead role, Vijay Antony has also produced the film. Actors Rupa Manjari, Anuya and Vibha play the female leads in the film while actor Siddharth, who played the lead in 'Aananda Thaandavam' plays an important role.
Sankar has been Vijay Antony’s friend for over six years. But it was only when he met the composer a few years ago to discuss something else that the talk turned to Sankar’s directorial venture.
“After listening to the story, Vijay expressed his desire to act and produce the film,” he says.
Handling both cinematography and direction was a daunting task, and Sankar says that caused delay in completing the shoot of the movie. But Vijay Antony understood the problem very well, he says.
Sankar is not a fan of the concept of a hero taking on a villain, and says he can’t accept it even if cinema is a medium of fantasy. “In life, circumstances make you look good to some people, who could view you as evil at a different situation. That’s life and that is what has been portrayed in 'Naan',” says Sankar, who added Jeeva as a prefix to his name in memory of his guru, cinematographer-turned-director Jeeva.
The film has scenes of nudity, with Vijay Antony having dared to shed clothes for a scene. “That appears ahead of the interval portion and was really required. Officials of the Censor Board removed only two wide shots. We couldn’t have asked for more,” he says. The film has been certified U/A and is scheduled to hit screens on August 15.
Sankar says 'Naan' will surely be a trendsetter in Tamil cinema if it does well.
“Fifty per cent of the film will be without dialogue and I would say Vijay Antony’s background score in 'Naan' is his best so far.