The shooting of Are You Okay Baby, the upcoming Tamil film starring Samuthirakani, Abhirami, and Mysskin among others, has been wrapped up. The film is directed by Lakshmy Ramakrishnan.
The film is currently in its post-production stages.
Speaking to CE about her upcoming film, Lakshmy claims this was her most experimental effort so far. “I just wanted to tell a story and follow my heart. I did not bother about what genre I am making the film under, or target audience.”
When asked about the genre, she adds, “This film cannot be categorised under any genre, but it has a mixture of crime, legal and family drama. We titled it Are You Okay Baby because it is about a baby. It is also a reference to the popular line said by Vijay Sethupathi in Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.” But the filmmaker clarifies that one should not misinterpret the film as a commercial entertainer alone based on the light-hearted tone of the title. “Our film has a socially relevant undertone and a plot point through which I would have debated the social and legal issues,” she says.
Lakshmy has also written the script and confirms that it is not based on true events. “It is inspired by real-life characters I’ve met as well as my own experiences and perspectives but it is fiction at the end of the day. The film is my dedication to the Tamil audiences of my talk show.”
With Samuthirakani and Abhirami playing the lead roles, the cast also includes Mullai Arasi, Mysskin, Murugaa Ashok, Aadukalam Naren, Pavel Navageethan, Robo Shankar, Vinodhini, Lakshmy Ramakrishnan, among others. While speaking about casting Mullai Arasi, Lakshmy says, “Since cinema is teamwork, you are often questioned about your choices. When dusky girls are cast, they reason that it might not work economically. With this film, I have chosen Mullai’s character to be earthier as a personality.”
Are You Okay Baby was extensively shot in Chennai and Kerala. The music is scored by Ilaiyaraaja. Lakshmy reveals that there is only one song in the film, for which the lyrics are penned by the composer himself, with vocals by Shweta Mohan. “The song will transform you to a different era, It will have a nostalgic factor. The commitment and time frame of veteran technicians and their discipline is amazing.
After hearing the story, Raja sir immediately composed and recorded the song. I did not have to worry about the song because it was ready when I was going for the shooting. His work for the climax portions is brilliant and no one can beat him when it comes to scoring emotional sequences,” Lakshmy says about working with Ilaiyaraaja.