Most of us have grown up listening to various grandma stories, while kids today, who belong to nuclear families, hardly have access to the stories that are passed down generations. Taking a cue from the fast-vanishing storytelling tradition, Kalyan has tried to weave in a story in the contemporary times, in his debut film Kadha Solla Porom. In this film, the debut filmmaker, who was one of the finalists of Naalai Iyakkunar Season 2, dons the cap of director and writer.
The cast includes Aadukalam Naren, Friends Vijayalakshmi, Kali of Mundasupatti fame, Pasanga Sivakumar, Cheran Raj, Akshara, a Malayalam film actor and others, along with eight child artistes.
The music is composed by Pawan and has five tracks, two of them sung by the kids themselves. The film, which was shot in Kishkintha, is set for release next month, with its release date for the time being slated for Children’s Day.
Given that it is a children’s film, it will, however, be equally appealing to a family audience, says Kalyan.
He says, “From sentimental scenes to comedy, there is a mix of everything in the film. But there is an underlying strong message about what stories each of the kids has to narrate.”
Kadha Solla Porom’s plot begins with an account of a couple (Aadukalam Naren and Vijayalakshmi) losing their new born. The camera then shifts to the sub plot that shows a few kids from an orphanage confronting a few children from a residential apartment, after the latter group’s kite lands on their premises. Where this incident leads them, forms the crux of the story.
The kids were given extensive training in singing, dancing, dubbing and dialogue delivery for a year, reveals the director, talking about the efforts that went into the making of the film to give it a realistic feel.
He adds, “Whoever watched the film, left the place feeling extremely contented. Most of them felt that the kids have acted so realistically.”