Actor Varalakshmi Sarathkumar, who plays the female lead in director Bala’s Thaara Thappattai, is thrilled with the way the film has come out. “I play a girl called Sooravali in the film. The name reflects her character and she is indeed like a tornado. Bala sir has showcased how the art of Karagaatam has evolved over the years in this film. Back then, Karagattam was a temple dance,” she says.
Varalakshmi, who has learnt western dance forms, is perceived to be a good dancer in general. However, the actor, who plays a Karagattam dancer in the film, says she had to work a lot to play the role to perfection.
“I know western dance forms but these dances are completely different from them. I need to thank all the choreographers — Baba Baskar, Suchi, Radhika and Brinda — for the way I have danced in this film. I had to rehearse a lot even before working on the film,” she points out.
Sources say that Varalakshmi sustained several injuries while working on the film. Get her to comment on the issue and she says, “For a particular sequence, I sustained a head injury after being hit by glass. I also sustained injuries to my collar bone. Bala sir was impressed with my effort and chose to reward me with a gold chain for my commitment.”
One other interesting fact about the film is that director Bala’s B Studios has entered into an agreement with the TV channel Discovery Tamil for the film. The storyline has Discovery Tamil integrated into the script where the channel’s cameras are scouting for the ancient Tamil dance forms that are fading out in today’s modern world. In the movie, the Tamil TV crew is shown searching for Swamy Pulavar, a renowned singer and musician and a receiver of the coveted Kalaimamani Award. Discovery Tamil’s team not only travels into deep places of Thanjavur to find Swamy Pulavar to capture his unique performancebut also tracks his son, Sannasi and his amazing Karagatam team’s entertaining act.
Talking about the association, Varalakshmi says, “They (Discovery Tamil) got to know that we were doing a film on Karagattam dancers and approached us for a collaboration. The film features a sequence in which the Discovery Team is shown filming the dancers. They have done a proper documentary on the dance forms and have interviewed all of us.”
No Gain
All of the actors involved in Thaara Thappattai have all worked hard while shooting for this movie. Several, including both lead actors, sustained injuries during the shoot, say sources. But at the same time all of them are happy with the way the film has turned out. Shooting of some parts of Thaara Thappattai, which will release on Pongal day, was completed in Andaman Nicobar Islands