Sasikumar and Anant Nag in new Tamil film ‘Vetrivel’

A fifteen-year struggle to break into the film industry is finally going to pay off.

Director Vasanthamani is ready with his first film, Vetrivel, featuring none other than the talented director-actor Sasikumar in the lead.

Set in rural India, this is a story of two brothers, played by Sasikumar and Anant Nag, who is making his Tamil cinema debut.

Sasikumar plays the title role, Vetrivel, who is managing a store dealing in agricultural products. He is paired opposite Malayalam actress Mia George, who is Janani, an officer in the government’s agricultural department.

Nag, who played Arivazhagan in the Malayalam blockbuster Premam, is Malar, Vetrivel’s younger brother.

Trouble brews when he falls in love with the daughter of the village panchayat (council) president.

“When Vetrivel assists his brother in the love affair, he finds himself in an unwarranted situation,” says Vasanathamani.

Prabhu plays the Panchayat president and his onscreen daughter Suba is played by newcomer Varsha. The supporting cast includes Thambi Ramiah and Nikila. Vasanthamani has written the story, drawing from real events in his hometown of Pattukottai (Thanjavur district).

The commerce graduate is a poet and has won laurels for writing since his school days. Keen on making films, he arrived in Chennai in the late nineties but was disillusioned about the industry and came to Dubai in search of work.

“But I was not happy there, my heart lay in films and I returned to Chennai again,” he said.

Starting as an assistant to T.P. Gajendran, he worked under other directors, his last being director Neason, whom he worked with on the sets of Jilla.

Vetrivel is Vasanthamani’s dream come true.

So what was it like for a first-time director to direct Sasikumar?

“Once on the sets, he left behind his director status and surrendered to me as an actor. I appreciate him for not interfering in my work,” he added.

D.Iman has scored music and S. R. Kathir is the cinematographer.

Vetrivel, produced by Trident Arts, releases in the UAE on April 21.