Biopics of political leaders like Jayalalithaa, MGR, NTR and actresses like Silk Smitha and Savithri seem to be the order of the day in tinsel town. Yet another one popping up is Seerum Puli (Raging Tiger) on the slain LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, under production now. Directed by Venkatesh Kumar, a former assistant of ace Balu Mahendra, the makers were looking out for an actor with an uncanny resemblance to Prabhakaran and they zeroed in on national award winner Bobby Simha.
Venkatesh has experimental films like Lightman, Neelam (based on the Sri Lankan civil war) and Unakkul Naan to his credit and they received critical acclaim. Studio 18 bankrolls Seerum Puli.
To go with Prabhakaran’s birthday — November 26 — the first look of the film with Bobby Simha keeping his left hand on the head of a tiger sitting beside him with the tagline ‘Rise of the People’s Leader’ was unveiled.
