Post his legal separation from his ex-wife, actress Amala Paul, director Vijay who has denied rumors of his second marriage, is all geared up with his action-adventure film Vanamagan, which stars Jayam Ravi and Sayyeshaa. The director, in an interview with DC, speaks about the film, which is also based on a real-life tribal clan based in the Andamans.
Vanamagan, a complete new genre:
It is about how a tribal from Andaman comes to the city accidentally, and what happens when he meets a girl there! The film has a beautiful romance in it. There is a message in the movie, which asks the question — who is better? The educated, city-bred folk or the tribals?
What inspired Vijay:
When I went to the Andaman Islands during the shoot of Madarasapattinam, I witnessed a sect of tribals in the forest regions, who intrigued me. I was impressed and I decided to make a film on them, but I have not committed to a particular clan in my movie. While the premise is inspired, the story is a fictitious one.
Ravi will stand out:
Ravi plays Vasi, who undergoes the transformation from a naive person into a refined one. His is a challenging character. Ravi worked hard to get a lean and robust look for his role. The action sequences in his bare body were tough, and he pulled them off without a body double.
Most of the action blocks were shot in a rough terrain — and there’s a scene in which he has to climb a tree, and jump from one to another, numbering 30 trees! We thought we would do it with a stunt double, but Ravi insisted that he do it himself. There’s even an episode involving a real tiger!
On choosing Sayyeshaa, grand-niece of Bollywood biggie Saira Banu:
I wanted a beautiful looking, fresh face for the role of a modern-day girl belonging to an influential business family. I went and met her in Mumbai, and she fit the bill perfectly. She is a powerful performer and I am confident that she will bag an award for this role.
Prakash Raj plays Sayyeshaa’s uncle and will bring a new dimention to the character.
A benchmark film in the genre?
It is for the audience to say. (laughs) I can assure you that the movie, which is an action-romantic thriller, has a novel idea and solid content.
Script commanded a huge scale:
The film has been shot in the virgin forest locales of Vietnam, Thailand and the China border, which were not accessible easily even after taking due permission. Part of it was also shot in the Talakona forests.
On the music front, Harris Jayaraj has given a new sound, and visually Thiru has brought out my vision well.
