Pascal Vedamuthu, who has earlier worked as an assistant director in Magalir Mattum (2017) and Suzhal (2022), is all set to make his directorial debut with Veppam Kulir Mazhai. The film is headlined by Dhirav and Ismath Bhanu, while MS Bhaskar plays a prominent role.
Veppam Kulir Mazhai revolves around a happily married couple, whose relationship starts falling apart due to the societal pressure to conceive a baby. “There is a lot of ambiguity surrounding the concept of procreation, and this film tries to explore whether the pressures placed on a childless couple is due to psychological factors, economic reasons, or others,” says director Pascal when asked what inspired him to make the film.
The director further adds, “In my opinion, it is a couple’s choice to have or not have a child, and that’s one aspect of this film. Veppam Kulir Mazhai will also delve into the psychology of those who want to have a child, but are not able to, due to medical or other reasons.”
Pascal also explains how he arrived at the title. “Scientifically, both heat and cold are required for rain. Similarly, both the complementing nature of a man and woman’s physiology is required to create life,” he explains.
The film’s lead and producer, Dhirav has previously helmed Rajakku Rajada, which is yet to be released. He has also worked as a lyricist and co-director of the National award-winning film, Kuttram Kadithal. On casting Dhirav, Pascal shares, “Dhirav initially came onboard Veppam Kulir Mazhai as the producer. I was still looking for actors at that time and Dhirav expressed his interest in playing the lead. I made him attend my workshop for the film, as I wanted to ensure that he would be able to get the hang of the Sivagangai slang.”
The cast of the film also includes Rama, Master Karthikeyan, Dev Habibullah, Vijayalakshmi, and Aadukalam Stella. The film is set in and around Maaviduthukotai, Sivagangai. “The place, which is also my native, is a small hamlet. I wanted my first film to be set there because I wanted to represent my people,” says Pascal.
The post-production work for Veppam Kulir Mazhai has been wrapped. Backed by Hashtag FDFS Productions, the film’s technical crew includes, music director Shankar Rangarajan, cinematographer Prithvi Rajendran, and actor Dhirav wearing the editor and lyricist hats as well. The makers expect to release the film either by the end of this month or the first week of March.