“Kathi edhukku thaan, thoppil kodi vetta thaan [What is a knife for? Yo cut the umbilical cord only]”. These thought provoking lyrics are from the song Thangakathi, Vellikathi, Sembukathi, Irumbukkathi, sung and written by director Mysskin for Tamil film Savarakathi (Straight Razor).
Mysskin returns as an actor in this film directed by his younger brother G.R. Adithya. Mysskin has written the story and plays the antagonist, Manga — a thug who is out on a parole for eight hours.
Mysskin last acted in Onaayum Aattuikuttiyum, which he directed in 2013. Thupparivalan (a Sherlock Holmes detective tale) that he directed last year was well received.
Tamil director Ram (of Thangameenkal and Taramani fame) plays the lead role of Pichaimurthy, a barber, who is prone to lying. Malayalam actress Poorna (aka Shamna Kasim) plays Pichaimurthy’s wife. She is hearing challenged and this mother of two is now expecting her third.
Mysskin said: “Manga is holding onto anger while the barber finds refuge in lies, two primary emotions that are often used to solve a problem.”
He explored every aspect of comedy while scripting this story. Mysskin also choreographed the stunt scenes.
Pichaimurthy’s family is endangered and he has to save them, but he is a man who does not know how to fight.
“The climax scene that brings Manga and Pichai face to face is a drama of emotions and not mere action sequences,” added Mysskin.
Adithya calls Savarakathi an entertainer that traces one day’s events from Manga and Pichaimurthy’s lives.
Directing two reputed filmmakers like Ram and Mysskin was not easy but having assisted Mysskin for eight years, he soon got comfortable with them.
“I had to convince both the directors of their scenes while staging my shots,” said Adithya, whose fascination for cinema goes back to his younger days when he watched English films with his father. Mackenna’s Gold is his favourite.
Another childhood memory is watching his father’s friend, a poster artist, at work. “The image of his poster for Cliffhanger is vivid even now,” he said.
Savarakathi, produced by Mysskin’s Lone Wolf Productions, releases in the UAE on February 9.
