Director Charles, who was critically acclaimed for his earlier heart-wrenching movie Azhagu Kutty Chellam that revolved around kids, is back with a drastically different genre. He has completed his next titled Saalai, a road movie and a psychological thriller.
The movie has Vishwa of Manasukkul Eppadi Vandhai fame and Krisha as the lead pair. The film is about a journey of a man’s life. Speaking about his experiences in the snowy terrain for 45 days, Charles shares, “It was really adventurous and also at times scary while shooting in Kashmir. There’s no separate airport for public in Kashmir. The only one, which is functioning, is meant for the Military Force. Even as we got down from the aircraft, the security men tell us that we can’t take pictures or videos at the airport. Every 10 feet, we saw an army personnel with loaded guns.”
He adds, “Since the story demanded a place like Kashmir, we chose it. Though the climate was spine-chilling, we were only concerned about protecting the camera. The people of Kashmir were very cooperative. We have shot in virgin locales that were not touched by any film’s unit so far. The movie has shaped up well and the grandeur will be felt. Saalai will be not only a visual treat, and there’s a message in it as well.” While Balamurugan is behind the camera, music is scored by Ved Shankar.
