Are you ready for a racy adventure through Singapore, Malaysia and Bankgok? Then step on board this Royal Caribbean Cruise.
Tamil film Vai Raja Vai, directed by Aishwarya Dhanush and boasting an ensemble cast, promises a cool way to beat the summer heat.
This is Dhanush’s second film, after 3, which features her husband Dhanush and actress Shruthi Haasan.
Psychology has always piqued the director’s interest.
In her debut film, she wove a love story around bipolar disorder. In Vai Raja Vai, her story is pegged around intuition; the hunch that cannot be explained with reason or logic. Going by the trailers, it looks like this ‘intuition’ lands the hero of the story in a spot.
“After 3 I wanted to do something different,” said Dhanush, a more confident and mature director today.
The story evolved from a simple knot that she shared over coffee with friend Archana Kalpathy, producer of Vai Raja Vai. Gautham Karthik, (actor Karthik’s son) plays the lead opposite Priya Anand.
“When the story opens, Karthik and Priya [she has retained the actors’ own names in the story] are in a relationship, so it does not dwell on their romance.
“This is the first time I signed a film without listening to the story,” says Anand. “And it happened soon after Ethir Neechal [her film with Dhanush’s production house]. I was impressed with Aishwarya’s 3.”
Priya is a middle-class girl in love with Karthik, an IT professional battling the usual pressures of work, whose life goes topsy-turvy following an incident. The rest of the story is how he comes out of this phase.
Vai Raja Vai is Karthik’s third film. “In my earlier films, my roles were that of an easy-going character, but for this role I had to control my body language and fine tune my performance,” said Karthik.
In the second half of the film, Taapsee Pannu plays a vital role, but with grey shades.
Vai Raja Vai has been in the making for the past two years and was shot at live locations. A portion of the film was shot on a Royal Caribbean cruise liner. Song sequences were made in Japan and Goa.
Filming on a cruise was not easy with guests on board.
“It’s a massive structure and we had the entire crew on board,” Dhanush said.
“There were restrictions on the time of filming. Some areas were forbidden for us. We had to respect the privacy of the guests. When the guests disembarked at ports, the crew got into action. The aim was to bring out something visually different.”
Recounting one night’s shoot, Dhanush said, “The sea was turbulent that night and we could feel the ship’s wobble.”
For the scene, the actors were required to walk a long stretch, to be captured in slow motion.
“I was excited about the cruise, which was four times the size of the Titanic,” says Anand.
Gambling forms a part of the story.
Daniel Balaji plays the baddie. Praising his work, Dhanush added, “Daniel never goes to his caravan after his shots. He keeps himself involved on the sets and helps my assistants.”
She found Karthik a real live wire, just like his father.
Talking about the actresses, she appreciated Anand’s ability to grasp things quickly and Pannu’s dedication to work and her punctuality on the sets. “Taapsee required no prompting, despite the language barrier, she knew her lines correctly.”
Look out for director S.J. Suryah in a cameo as an auto driver and don’t miss his dance. Dhanush has also signed up director Vasanth as an actor. He plays Karthik’s father.
There are three comedians: Vivek, Manobala and Satish. And can her film be complete without hubby Dhanush?
The answer is in her smile.
“Dhanush has been my strength. When I asked him if he would work in my film, he did not even think twice. He plays a character close to my heart.”
Grateful to her parents and in-laws for understanding the pressures of working in an industry that thrives on erratic and long hours, this mother of two says, “I am blessed to have this security.”
One lesson she learnt from observing her father, the legendary Rajnikanth, is to not bring work home.
Does she dream of directing her father and her husband together in a film someday?
Pat comes the reply, “That’s a dream for any filmmaker but I am not equipped to do that. It’s not easy. I leave that job to the others.”
What’s next?
A holiday with her children, Yatra and Linga, is long overdue, before they go back to school.
This year she is also keen on pursuing her first love, dance, an art she was introduced to at the age of eight.
“I miss my dancing. I would like to present something this music season.”
Vai Raja Vai is produced by Kalpathi Aghoram. Yuvan Shankar Raja has composed music. R. Velraj is the cinematographer.
“This film is a summer treat that you can enjoy with friends and family,” she assured. “Please leave 3 behind. That was an intense love story. Don’t expect that from Vai Raja Vai. This is a pukka [solid] commercial thriller. As a newcomer, I am eager to try every genre of film making.”
Has she ever thought of stepping into her father’s shoes as an actor?
“Never. I am happy behind the camera,” signed off the eldest daughter of Rajnikanth.
