Sundarra Elangovan, former associate of award-winning filmmaker Bala, explains why Arthanari, which hit the screens recently, is an important film in his career. “As a director, I have social responsibilities to fulfil. It’s high time we introspect about why people watch our films. Though the process of filmmaking has been simplified, there’s a dearth of quality movies, which helps explain problems in society,” he says, adding that cinema is a powerful tool to convey messages and influence people.
Ask about the film’s title and Elangovan smiles, “Arthanari refers to the mythical transgender form in which both Shiva and Shakti share equal space. Likewise, both the hero and heroine have equal importance in the script, fighting societal evils in a balanced way.”
The film loosely revolves around child labour and how people unknowingly end up helping criminals without realising the seriousness of doing so. Arthanari has Arundhati of Naaigal Jakiradhai fame as an upright police officer, with model Ram Kumar playing the male lead. While Naan Kadavul Rajendran plays a negative role in this film, Nasser plays one of the good guys!