From Kokki and Lee to Kumki and Kayal , Prabhu Solomon’s choice of actors have either been those waiting in the wings for a break or greenhorns yearning to jump into the fray. So it’s rather surprising to see him go in for an established actor, Dhanush, for Thodari —just the second time he’s doing so in a career that spans nearly two decades. Thodari is also arguably the first Indian film to be shot entirely on a train!
“ Thodari demanded a simple young man, who could slide into the role convincingly, and also be a sound name from the business angle. Dhanush fitted the bill,” says Solomon, who believes that the script is above all else.
How then did King go wrong? The Vikram-starrer that released more than a decade ago was a damp squib, after which, till Thodari, Solomon has never gone with big heroes. “ King was a classic case of miscasting and I also had to compromise on many fronts. I only have myself to blame for its result. Getting the cast right is fifty per cent of the job done.” I like how he retains his composure even when fielding tough questions.
When the creator in him craved freedom, he turned producer and the much-acclaimed Mynaa happened. Now again for Thodari, he is partnering with Sathya Jyothi Films. “Dhanush was my choice for Thodari also because I have a say, monetarily,” he says.
The story of Thodari gained shape in his mind at a time when he often travelled to Delhi (he was working in Ghaziabad then). “It was two nights of travel. I would observe the vendors in the pantry car, converse with them and listen to their experiences. I liked the idea of an entire story set in a train. Poochiappan (Dhanush’s name in the film) has been with me for long,” smiles Solomon. But couldn’t train travel today be different? “Once Thodari was finalised, I travelled again to Delhi for a recce. Some facilities have improved, but everything else is the same.”
Did Dhanush have to do much homework for the film? “Balancing tea cups and snacks on a moving train while walking up and down isn’t easy. It requires practice. Also, the way vendors announce their eats has a distinct twang. We made videos and sent them to Dhanush; he joined the journey well-prepared.”
Permission to shoot a complete film on a train came with restrictions, and time was a crucial factor. It must have been tough for a busy actor like Dhanush to allot dates for a film like Thodari . “He was aware of the time he had to give for the film. Having watched Mynaa and Kumki , he reposed implicit faith in me. He did not even ask for the script, thankfully. I am not a good narrator,” laughs Solomon. “‘Just tell me where and when I have to come over’, was all he said.”
The unit was allowed to shoot for only five hours every day and work was stalled whenever the train was halted at signals. At most, only three hours of actual filming was possible. “It took us 70 days to shoot Dhanush’s scenes.”
Working with Dhanush provided several ‘wow’ moments for Solomon. He recounts a couple. “It was so different from working with newcomers. I had to show him the gait of a pantry vendor, his style of wearing the coat and other such things just once, and believe me, I never had to repeat them,” he says. “Dhanush has vertigo. But for Thodari, he ran on top of the train to fight, sing, and dance… I admire his tenacity.”
Solomon selected Keerthy Suresh after an audition. “She’ll soon be in the league of great performers like Shobha and Revathi. Hers is a challenging role for a heroine. Imagine running near the engine on a train, which is speeding at 70 km an hour. The engine heat was unbearable; yet, not once did she show fear or reluctance. I had warned her about the risks even earlier, but she simply said, ‘ Thodari will be a very different film for me, I’ll do it.’ The character, Saroja, needed to be fluent in Tamil and Malayalam, which further made Keerthy an apt choice.”
Solomon seems to have a penchant for tragedy, with the lovers in his films often dying. Will Thodari be similar? “Please, I don’t have a tragic ending just for the sake of it. Kayal was not so. I allow my story to decide the climax,” he argues, and concludes, “I assure you, Thodari will be a racy, wholesome entertainer.”
