Arun Prabhu Purushothaman who made heads turn with his debut film Aruvi is ready with his second. He says his next has a ‘global theme’. Actor Sivakarthikeyan who bankrolls the film revealed on Thursday the intriguing title of Vaazhl (Live) for the film as well as its first look.
Arun speaks to DC: First things first. Why it is spelt ‘Vaazhl’ when it is actually ‘Vaazh’ in Tamil, we ask. “Oh no! No astrology or numerology involved. Even as I penned the script we decided to send it to international film fests. The foreigners pronounce it differently when it is spelt Vaazh. Hence to get the name phonetically correct, we added that letter ‘l’ (smiles).”
The young filmmaker adds, “Our lives revolve around a lot of questions. Why we are born, how to live, what’s happening round us etc. Vaazhl travels in these premises. But, it is not preachy. Like Aruvi, I have narrated the film in an entertaining manner.”
Prabhu says that he shared the idea with Sivakarthikeyan in 2011. “Yes, SK anna is my relative and I discuss all my writings with him. I wrote this script before Aruvi and when anna was doing Manam Kothi Paravai, I shared this theme. He loved the idea. Now that anna has started producing films, he pitched in to fund the film.”
The film has all newcomers on board. “Yes, I didn’t want anyone with an image trap and hence chose non-professional actors who are passionate about films. Also, the believability factor would be perfect.” He was not too willing to reveal the names of the actors and all he said was, “A small boy plays a significant role in the film.”
Aruvi was made on a shoestring budget. How about Vaazhl? “I started the film in my banner Madhuram Pictures. Siva anna is now funding it. Anna has provided a budget, which the script demanded. When I began, it was a big challenge for me if I can translate or recreate what I had written on paper. In a sense, the idea was huge and complex. More so, after giving a blockbuster Aruvi, my responsibilities have grown multifold. So, I took a lot of time for preproduction and planning, which had saved lot of money. “
Singer Pradeep Kumar turns music composer. “Musically it will give a new experience. We have travelled a lot for different sounds and music. International musicians are part of the ensemble.”
Meanwhile
it is revealed that Sivakarthikeyan’s highly anticipated next with director Pandiraj in Sun Pictures production will hit the marquee on September 27 during Ayutha Pooja holidays.
