Bumper movie: A ticket to success?
Filmmaker M Selvakumar, an erstwhile associate of director Muthaiya, is making his directorial debut with Vetri’s upcoming film, Bumper. Talking about the premise of Bumper, Selvakumar says, “I developed a story based on the lottery system in Kerala, and how people from Tamil Nadu travel to Kerala only to buy lotteries.” The filmmaker points out that he landed on the subject from his own life experiences.
“My father was a scrap dealer who won a lottery in Kerala. I had many apprehensions when I went to collect the money, and I have weaved those experiences into the film.” The film has a major setting in Kerala, and it was factored in during the casting too.
“The film is set in Thoothukudi, and Vetri was an obvious choice as he is familiar with the accent and the landscape. Hareesh Peradi is known in Tamil Nadu as much as in Kerala. They’re playing contrasting characters. We have tried to keep the authenticity of Malayalam, instead of using Malayalam-speaking characters as stereotypes.”
Apart from Vetri and Hareesh, the film, which is aiming for a May release, also stars Shivani Narayanan, GP Muthu, Thangadurai, and Kavitha Bharathi in significant roles. While asking whether the film endorses lottery, Selva Kumar quotes former CM Annadurai and says, “Lottery vizhunthaal veetukku, illayel nattukku.”