Hollywood makeover for Kunal Kapoor's film

Mirror (January 5) was the first to report about Kunal Kapoor's next, Jayaraj's trilingual 'Veeram', which is set in 13th century Kerala and revolves around the martial art form of Kalaripayattu.
Now, Mirror has learnt that the six-time National award-winning filmmaker has roped in four renowned Hollywood technicians --action choreographer Allan Poppleton ('Hunger Games', 'Avatar' and 'Lord of the Rings' fame), Oscar-winning make-up artist Trefor Proud, composer Jeff Rona ('Phantom') and colourist Jeff Olm ('Monsters vs Aliens', 'Titanic' and 'Spiderman').
According to Jayaraj, Allan spent two months at various Kalaripayattu centres to understand its nuances. "Allan researched under the aegis of teachers like Siva Kumar Gurukkal of CVN Kalari in Kollam and incorporated his own styles to fit the camera angles," says the Malayalam director, adding that he wanted to strike a chord between the art form's traditional essence and its contemporary depiction. "The idea was to sharpen the storytelling as well as capture the audience's interest by bringing a western perspective on board."
Trefor's prep included extensive research spanning several months too. "The costumes represent the ones worn by warriors in the 13th century South India. They would also use body paint and colourful tattoos to look more ferocious. Incidentally, the colours bear a striking resemblance to the ones incorporated in many dance forms in Kerala, including Kathakali," Jayaraj explains. Meanwhile, the film's soundtrack is an orchestral combination of traditional Maratha folk music with some new elements.
Kunal who has shot for some high-octane action sequences was accompanied by a personal trainer throughout the shoot. "He had to build muscle in order to lend a sense of ferocious grandeur to his onscreen personality as an ancient warrior. At the same time, he had to be agile and flexible enough to practice Kalari in the film," Jayaraj signs off.