Themes in praise of farmers seem to be the favourite subject of Tamil filmmakers. After Udhayanidhi, who played an educated farmer in Kanne Kalaimaane and Atharva in Boomerang, yet another filmmaker, Ismail, is coming out with a movie titled IR 8.
IR 8 is the name of a popular high-yielding semi-dwarf rice variety. “The film is about a farmer who borrows money from the bank for his agricultural necessities. Unfortunately, his efforts fail and he falls in and is pressurised by the bankers to repay. When his own sons leave him in the lurch, he picks up a few educated youngsters and initiates them into farming with him. How he succeeds forms the rest,” says Ismail.
He adds, “It is not a sob story of a farmer, rather IR 8 has a positive approach. It has a good message. Sharing yet another interesting incident he said, “While we were shooting in Theerthamalai in Salem, the principal of a nearby school came to the spot with students to watch the shooting. Impressed, they invited me to their school to give a speech about the importance of agriculture and farming.”
Hanifa and Vishwa play the male leads and Bindhu essays the heroine. National award winner Appu Kutty and Karate Raja are in the supporting cast.”
