For his debut film, Thandhai Sol Mikka Mandiramillai, director Sivabalakrishnan has chosen the tried and tested subject of caste issues. In the film, the filmmaker tells us he’s attempted to bring to light a true incident that took place in the Kongu Nadu region. “What happens when the Panchayat head (played by Vathiar Subramaniam) in a village gets a dose of his own medicine is the essence of the story.
Entrusted with finding solutions to every issue in the village, this man’s word has been the final one in the village. What happens when he has to give the verdict after his son marries out of his caste? That’s what my film deals with,” the director says.
Siva argues that the growth of villages has been impeded by the so-called traditional values, which he believes have no place in the modern world. “I will deem it a victory if my intended message is taken in the right spirit by the panchayat heads,” says the director, who has doubled up as an actor, playing the son’s character.
Priyanka Dharini stars as his love interest in this film, which Siva affirms has all the commercial ingredients the audience would expect, including a Thiruvizha song sung by Malathi Lakshman and Velmurugan. “On the face of it, this may sound like a B and C offering, but the city audience too will be able to connect with the message.”