Actor and music directorVijay Antony, who has an impressive record as a hero with three back-to-back hits, is gearing up for the release of his next film called Pichaikaran.
Interestingly, the film, the actor discloses, is inspired by a real life incident.
“Actually the story of this film is inspired by an incident that happened in the life of somebody about whom director Sasi got to know,” he says.
Already the film’s title has raised eyebrows. Draw Vijay Antony’s attention to this development and he acknowledges it. Says the actor, “I am aware of it. I was the one who suggested this name for a title. When a story revolves around a rickshaw puller, it is titled Rickshawkaran. Similarly, I play a beggar in this film and therefore, I thought that this would be an apt title.”
Giving details of how he chose to be a part of this project, Vijay Antony says, “Director Sasi, with whom I worked as a music director in Dishyum, one day told me that he had an interesting script and urged me to listen to it. I agreed. He narrated the story for three hours. The story was so gripping that I had tears of joy flowing on several occasions. Finally, when he finished, I broke down. I immediately decided that I would do this film.”
At a time when several actors are conscious about the roles they choose as they are worried about their image in the industry, Vijay Antony has had no qualms playing a beggar.
Ask him about this and he replies, “ I too am surprised by the fact that until now, very few actors have played a beggar in the lead role. But I am someone who believes that fans want thier heroes to be humans first. They want you to be one among them. The positive response to the trailer of this film has been four times that of the response I received for my earlier hit films. Once you watch this film, you will know why I opted for it.”
Is there a message that he intends to communicate through Pichaikaran? If so, what is it?
Says Vijay Antony, “ I don’t look to give messages through my films. I want the audience to enjoy a tight script for a period of two-and-a -half hours. While making such films, invariably several good points also get communicated. They are not deliberately introduced.”
So, what is Pichaikaran all about? “All of us look at a begger in a different manner. We get offended even if someone calls us a beggar during a fight. But what we don’t realise is that they too have a life. Pichaikaran will make you look at a beggar in a different fashion. For instance, the guy sitting next to you in a theatre watching a film could be a beggar. Even they have their favourite stars. That is one observation. The other thing that one needs to realise is that we have all been beggars at one point or the other. For instance, I begged for an opportunity to score music when I first came to the industry. The only difference between them and us is that they seek money while we seek other things. What we fail to realise is that nobody has come up in life without another person helping him,” he explains.
Directed by Sasi, Pichaikaran has a newcomer from Kerala called Sapna as its heroine.
Vijay Antony himself has scored the music for his film.
“There are four songs in this film and apart from that there is a theme song. So, in all, there are five songs in the film. We have completed shooting the film and post-production work is now on. We are looking to release this film in the month of November. Ideally, expect this film to hit screens sometime before or after Deepavali,” he signs off.