Biju Viswanath, who gave the comedy emotional movie Orange Mittai with Vijay Sethupathi in the lead, is back after a gap with a space adventure entertainer titled Chennai Palani Mars (CPM). Bankrolled by Biju and VSP, the black comedy has dialogues by the latter although the actor is not appearing on screen.
Speaking to DC, Biju whose last English film How to teach tango to a Seagull, screened at several International festivals says, “CPM is about two guys played by Praveen Raju, the lead protagonist and Rajesh Giriprasad who have this crazy idea of going to Mars and believe that the very thought of it would take them to the planet. They think that thoughts travel faster than space shuttles. Praveen’s father who is a scientist is doing research on the issue, but is yet to see the results. Basically it is a road movie where they travel from Chennai to Palani to reach Mars.”
Why Palani, we ask. “There’s a connect to Lord Murugan footprints in his Palani abode and the myth associated with it and the duo trusts that it would take them to Mars. People from different walks of life including cops who chase them for a murder case, two dons, an IT guy who has a suicidal tendency who they encounter on their way and whether they realise their dreams forms the crux.” There’s an element of fantasy as well and I have narrated the film in a quirky manner, he adds.
On roping in Vijay Sethupathi for dialogues for this black humourr film, he asserts, “I have seen his writing in Orange Mittai. Besides a great actor, I realised that there’s a good writer in him. He writes with lot of conviction. I am two hundred percent confident that it will be a jolly ride.”
