Sibiraj, whose most recent outing was the horror flick Jackson Durai (2016), is excited about his upcoming flick Kattappavae Kaanom. Directed by Mani Seiyon, former associate of Arivazhagan, the film will have Aishwarya Rajesh of Kaaka Muttai fame, playing the female lead, besides Chandini Tamilarasan, Kaali Venkat, Mime Gopi, and others.
Kattappa was the character played by veteran Sathyaraj in SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali (2015). And post the film’s release, this one-liner ‘Katappa ne Baahubali ko kyun maara?’ (Why did Katappa kill Baahubali?) became extremely popular!
But why ‘Kattappa’? “We were working on the script and something struck us. It was me who suggested that we have ‘Kattappa’ in the title. Initially, we felt it was not appropriate. But as the story progressed, we were convinced that the name was fine,” Sibiraj smiles. “Even appa (Sathyaraj) was happy with the title!” he adds.
“It’s a full-on fantasy comedy film. I play an IT professional who keeps losing his job. Aishwarya plays a homemaker! I am quite confident that this film will appeal to the audience including children, because of the quirky elements in the script,” say the actor.
Ask for more details, and he says, “Like how a Belgian Shepherd played an important role in my earlier film Naaigal Jaakirathai (2014), Kattappavae Kaanom will have a fish playing a crucial character.”
Director Mani Seiyon surprises us saying that fish, like dogs, can make wonderful pets. “They have always fascinated me and when I’m free, I spend time watching them. Fish are highly sensitive and have high observation power.”
Talking about the fish in the film, he says, “Before we decided to begin work on the film, I bought this vaasthu fish and kept training it. But making it listen to what we had to say was challenging. While shooting, it kept looking somewhere else instead of facing the camera. Working with the fish taught us to be patient. It was a different kind of experience,” he laughs.
Mani adds, “Aishwarya has been doing performance-oriented roles ever since she started her career. Her character has an equal pace to perform like Sibiraj’s.”
The director has also managed to rope in director Nalan Kumarasamy for a cameo. He will be seen playing a veterinary doctor. Mani approached Nalan with the script and as he was impressed by it, he immediately accepted to be a part of the film. “I wanted to give the audience something fresh and I hope they will enjoy this,” he adds.
Up next, Sibi has Telugu movie Kshanam’s Tamil version in is kitty. “I’ve acquired the remake rights of the film and it has an intriguing story and screenplay. When I watched the film, I was completely hooked on,” he says.