If Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival in January, heralds a new beginning with star-studded releases in Tamil cinema, Diwali, the festival of lights, is another time to look out for more star releases.
This year, Diwali is being celebrated on November 10, and deviating from the regular Friday release, two big-star releases will light up the screens in Tamil Nadu.
Ajith’s Vedalam locks horns with Kamal Haasan’s Thoongavanam.
Vedalam is Ajith’s 56th film and is directed by Siva, who last worked with Ajith in Veeram last year.
Siva describes Vedalam as a mass entertainer that will be loved by both men and women.
He is not keen on divulging more about Ajith’s role.
The trailers reveal a tough-looking Ajith sporting close cropped hair and a salt-and-pepper beard. He is paired opposite Shruthi Haasan. Lakshmi Menon plays his on-screen sister.
Can an Ajith film be without action scenes?
Stunt Silva, who has worked with Ajith on four films, revealed that the star does the stunt sequences himself and has never used a double. “After working on car and bike chases in his earlier films like Mankatha, this time we have gone for fist fights,” said Silva, who praised Ajith’s commitment to action shots.
“Despite a severe neck injury inflicted during one scene with the villain, resulting in great pain, Ajith sir resumed work after taking a painkiller injection.”
“The action scenes are extraordinary,” added Silva, who has worked in nine languages including Hindi and Marathi over the past eight years as a stunt master.
Vedalam, a city-based thriller, was shot in Chennai, Calcutta and Italy. The Telugu version is titled Aavesham.
Anirudh’s music is clearly making waves online. The song, Aaluma Doluma, sung by him and Punjabi rapper Badshah is quite a hit. Haasan has sung Don’t Mess With Me.
Kabir Singh makes his debut in Tamil cinema as the antagonist. Bollywood’s Rahul Dev also plays a significant character. The supporting cast includes Kovai Sarla, Soori, Thambi Ramiah and Bala Saravanan.
Thoongavanam, inspired by French film Nuit Blanche is a fast-paced thriller with Kamal Haasan in the lead.
Kamal has written the screenplay and his former assistant, Rajesh M Selva, opens his directorial innings with this film.
Selva said, “This is a story about Diwakar, an officer from the narcotics department, who is torn between his profession and his family.”
Trisha plays a cop. She underwent training for action sequences.
With an ensemble cast that includes Prakash Raj, Sampath Kumar, Kannada actor Kishore, Yuhi Sethu and Asha Sarath (UAE resident last seen in Haasan’s Papanasam) Thoongavanam is looked forward to with great expectations.
Ghibran has composed music for lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. Cinematography is by Sanu John Verghese.
Thoongavanam was shot in Chennai and Hyderabad and made simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu. The Telugu version is titled Cheekati Rajyam.
With the weather gods playing spoilsport in Chennai, it is now left to the star gods to turn a damp Diwali eve into a sparkling morning.
Both films release in the UAE on November 12.
