Director Prabhu Solomon, whose films Mynaa (2010) and Kumki (2012) moved audiences so much that they became superhits at the box office, is now set to impress again with his next film titled Thodari.
The first look of the film, which features Dhanush and Keerthy Suresh in the lead, was released recently, triggering excitement among fans and film buffs. It has now been confirmed that Dhanush plays a pantry vendor and Keerthy Suresh plays a touch-up girl in the film.
Talking to City Express, Prabhu Solomon says, “'Thodari' simply means train. My first choice for the title was ‘Train’ because this entire story, which happens over two nights and a day, takes place on a train. However, an English title would not get us tax exemption, so we looked for the Tamil equivalent of the word.”
The director adds, “When we were looking for the Tamil equivalent of 'train', several words came up but I felt they weren’t attractive enough. By God’s grace, Shekhar, a Tamil professor with the Tamil Mandram, suggested this title to us. I found it attractive and we decided to name the film Thodari.”
Each of Prabhu Solomon's films has been inspired by some experience that he either came across or read about, and more importantly, he has a message that he seeks to communicate through his films. What inspired the story of Thodari and what message does he seek to convey to audiences through this film?
Says Prabhu, “I am from Neyveli, a small town. When I finished college in 1991, I got a job at a thermal plant in Ghaziabad. To join my new office, I had to go on my first train journey. That journey was such an amazing experience. At that time, one had to travel by train for two days and three nights to reach Ghaziabad and I used to write a diary then. While travelling, I found that the train was a mega entity in itself. In fact, it was a community by itself. One could find people from different communities, segments and walks of life."
He says that during his journey, he would often eat in the pantry car and would walk through the compartments. "I made friends with an army officer and this trip inspired me to make the film. The idea was always there even when I made Mynaa and Kumki, but then, this was a big budget film and the time for it seemed right only now. This film is about the concern a man has for society,” says the director, who is pleased with the way it has shaped up. He says his cast and crew, including Dhanush and Keerthy Suresh, did a fantastic job.
Now that the film is in its final stages, when will fans see it on screens? “You can expect it in the fourth week of May,” he smiles. .