His third movie Naan Sigappu Manithan (NSM) is releasing this week, and director Thiru is thrilled about it. More so, because its trailer and teasers were well received, peaking people’s curiosity to a new high — thanks to the unusual subject. In a chat with CE, Thiru reveals more.
“The film is based on the condition of narcolepsy, where any sort of swing in emotion can send the patient to sleep — anywhere, anytime,” explains Thiru. So how did this idea come about? “I heard my friends talking about this sleeping disorder and it piqued my curiosity. Later, when I narrated my script to them, everyone associated with the film had a doubt whether such a thing exists! The first reaction was to google it themselves. Even Vishal did the same thing and came across a few YouTube videos,” he says.
According to Thiru, the film is a revenge saga. To get his facts right, Thiru did a lot of initial research and even met several neursosurgeons. “I had no point of reference since no feature film has been made on this topic anywhere. But I did come across documentaries of real life people who suffer from the disease. People initially may find it a novelty but the pain, anguish and loss the patients undergo is immense. No medication can cure it fully. Only willpower can help them to some extent. Any emotion — good or bad — can trigger sleep suddenly, wherever they are, hurting them in the process. I had doctors advise me on the body language to be used by Vishal for the role,” he says.
The shoot was no easy ride for Vishal, who injured himself several times since he had to fall repeatedly. Thiru recalls, “I admire his dedication. He fell hard many times — on roads, bridges and even inside a factory under construction. Being tall and well-built, the falls hit him hard and even injured his head and hands many a time. But he took it all in his stride.”
Vishal is well-known for his action sequences and even in NSM, Thiru has used this image of Vishal to full advantage. Special stunts have been choreographed for the climax by the Thai stunt master Pradit Seelum, also known as Nung. “We worked together in Samar also. I showed him the entire movie with sub- titles before we shot the climax. He even told me that despite working in so many international films, he had never seen any feature film on this subject before. The thorough professional that he is, before the actual shoot, Nung made video trailers of how he would do the climax fights, with his own stuntmen. He showed me clearly what he had in mind. Dilip Subrayan has done the chase scenes,” he says.
The film stars Vishal and Lakshmi Menon. Two songs have been shot in Rajasthan and KuluManali. Winding up, Thiru explains, “The film’s message is — nothing is impossible.”