Director Vishal Venkat, who made his directorial debut with last year’s Sila Nerangalil Sila Manidhargal, is all set to helm his next feature film. The yet-to-be-titled project will be headlined by Arjun Das and Shivathmika Rajashekar. Brimming with excitement, Vishal tries his best to talk about the core of the story without divulging a lot about the film.
He reveals it will be a satire-drama, and when asked what the film will be satirising, Vishal says, “The film comments on the socio-political condition of humans but it also has a philosophical take to it. Anbe Sivam as a philosophy is more in line with what we’re trying to discuss in the film.”
When asked about the conspicuous connection with the widely popular Kamal Haasan film, he smiles and says, “You could say that film is sort of an inspiration too.”
Produced by Sudha Sukumar under her banner Gembrio Pictures, the film is currently scheduled for a 35-day shoot.
The makers have built an extensive set in EVP film city in Chennai.
When asked about the need for an extensive set, the director reveals, “Even though the story is firmly placed in a contemporary time and setting, it happens in a fictional place. However, it doesn’t mean you should imagine a complete fantasy setting.”
Vishal also shares that the fictional land will have a rural setting.
The film will have Vishal sharing the story credits with Manikandan Mathavan and Abhisek Sabarigirison. “The dialogues for the film will be written by Makizhnan, who worked on Pa Ranjith’s Kaala.”
When asked how Arjun Das came into the picture, the director had quite a bit of backstory to unpack. An erstwhile assistant of filmmaker Madhumitha, who is known for helming the critically acclaimed KD (KD Engira Karuppudurai) in 2019, Vishal returned to assist her even after making his directorial debut with SNSM.
“I went back to Madhumitha Ma’am to assist her on the Hindi remake of Angamaly Diaries, which starred Arjun Das as the lead. While I knew his acting talents, meeting and interacting with him on the sets of that film convinced me that he would fit the role I had in my mind for my next,” says Vishal, adding, “Arjun Das is a fantastic performer. Moreover, he is not your typical protagonist in this film and you are definitely not going to see a typical Arjun Das.”
With a strong cast that also includes Kaali Venkat, Nassar, Abhirami, Ramesh Thilak, and Bala Saravanan, the film promises to be a character-driven drama. Vishal says that the heart of the film is the land and its connection with the people.
“The story revolves around the people of the land and the immense capacity of humanity to stick together through anything. Even with the weight of philosophical musings, the film hopes to show the goodness of humanity and ends on a hopeful note,” he says.
With music composed by D Imman, the makers are planning to release it around February-March next year.