ON LOCATION
Kids’ day out
fun-filled fare Pattalam
The venue: Prince Engineering College beyond Madippakam. The unit van is positioned at one corner of a vast building and the place is teeming with new faces.
Inside the building, a school set has been put up and Nadiya plays teacher. She talks to her students about life. After the shot is canned, debut director Rohan Krshna comes over for a chat.
“This is a different film with a lot of new faces. The only known actors are Nadiya and Pandu. It was a dream come true when director Lingusamy wanted me to do a film for his home production, Thirupathi Brothers. Apparently, he liked my serial Kana Kaanum Kaalangal a lot.” Following the meeting, Rohan’s wife Sheeba Rohan came up with a story based on school children. Once producer Subash Chandra Bose okayed it, the search began for newcomers. “It took me at least a few months to scout for the children and I chose Irfan, Balaji and Hari from the serial, and Vinesh, Guru, Arun, Vikesh Sathya and Kripa,” recalls Rohan.
Over to Nadiya. “Rohan told me the story in Mumbai and I liked it. It was a role I have not done till now. I was so impressed that I started discussing the costumes with Sheeba even before I told Rohan I was on.”
Rohan, a former associate of director Priyadarshan, is happy that he could finish the film in record time. “I studied direction and screenplay at the Chennai Film Institute and my short film Paramapatham won the National Award in 2002.” So, how has the film turned out? “These days, families are hesitant to go to theatres, worried about the story. But, Pattalam is based on the lives of school-going children with a lot of messages thrown in,” says Rohan. The music has been scored by Jassie Gift, who sang and composed the cult song Lajavathiye and the lyrics are by Na. Muthukmar, Yugabharathi and Nellai Bharathy. The dialogues are by Palanisamy and the screenplay and direction by Rohan Krshna.
S. R. ASHOK KUMAR
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