In India, it’s not common to see huge banners announcing the film of an actress.
Tamil film Aramm breaks this trend with a huge poster featuring Nayanathara at a cinema in Chennai.
Aramm (A Good Deed), directed by debutant Gopi Nainar, a social activist for the last 15 years, releases in the UAE on November 9.
The trailer for Aramm indicated that this is a story about water scarcity in Tamil Nadu and farmers’ plight. However, Nainar clarified that his film dwells on several issues that plague society and are interlinked with each other. Water scarcity is only the tip of the iceberg.
Aramm is centred around a couple and their two sons, who encounter a difficult situation and how they struggle through it. Ramachandran Durairaj and Sunu Lakshmi play the couple while Ramesh and Vignesh (of Kaaka Muttai fame) play their onscreen sons.
Nayanthara plays Madhivadhini, an Indian Administrative Service officer, who is posted as a District Collector in their area. She comes to their aid.
With no formal training in direction, Nainar learned from the many films he has watched and studied.
Nainar said that today the common man has realised that he cannot expect much from the powers that be. “So they decide to tackle their problems themselves,” he said.
Aramm is not a regular commercial film, which meant getting producers was not easy.
“Many felt it was like a documentary,” Nainar said. “Without the regular dose of songs, duets and action, producers were not interested.”
Crediting Nayanthara for the development of her character, Nainar said that she immediately agreed to do the film following a narration.
“She is easy to work with and was well involved with the script. Often she improvised her character,” he added.
Aramm is inspired by a true story and with inputs from his experiences as a social activist, Nainar’s social drama looks to be one hard-hitting story.
