Vasantha Mani, who earlier assisted RT Neason on Jilla, is excited about releasing the Sasikumar-starrer Vetrivel ahead of its planned date. “We are planning to release Vetrivel on April 22. It will be a typical Sasikumar film, with a mix of comedy, action, love and family sentiment. I had only Sasi on my mind when I wrote the script. We shot in and around Pattukottai and Thanjavur, and this one has all the elements that fans expect from the actor. Village-based scripts are my forte, and whatever I write is based on my own experiences. I never attempt things I am not comfortable with,” says Mani.
“We have tried to say something that has to be said, not overtly though. The story revolves around a teacher (played by Ilavarasu) and his two sons (Sasikumar and Ananth Nag). Sasikumar plays a small-town guy with no ambition. How he turns responsible when a circumstantial turn of events forces him into the thick of the action, forms the rest of the film,” explains Vasantha Mani and adds that Sasikumar didn’t interfere with whatever he did — be it scripting, or on the sets.
“When I approached Sasi, he listened to the script as an actor, not as a director. According to him, the producer, the director and the actor are separate entities, and he believes in keeping them that way — the director doesn’t enter a actor’s domain, nor does the actor get into other territories. Even when we shot, he used to suggest how things could be shot, but never forced anything on me. He was extremely supportive throughout, and eased my stress,” he smiles.
Prabhu and Thambi Ramaiah play important roles, with three heroines Miaa George, Nikhila and Varsha, featuring in this family-oriented love story. The film is produced by R Ravindran's Trident Arts. The film has music by D Imman.
