Dhanush returns with ‘Enai Noki Paayum Thota’

Gautham Menon is one of the finest chronicler of love stories in Tamil cinema. Set in an urban milieu, Menon’s pivotal women characters are strong and with an opinion of their own while the men are sensitive and caring. The lead characters speak in Tamil that is interspersed with lots of English.

For Megha Akash, being selected to play the leading lady in Menon’s upcoming film, ‘Enai Noki Paayum Thota’ (‘A Bullet Coming My Way’) went beyond her dreams.

“I was so overwhelmed that I could not stop crying,” recalled Akash, who plays Lekha in this love story. Dhanush is paired opposite her. He plays Raghu, a college student.

Looking younger, Dhanush sports a cool hip look — a far cry from the characters he has played earlier. The trailers hint at a revenge story when Raghu finds his love threatened.

Akash said that like all Menon’s heroines, Lekha is a strong woman.

“Her graph goes through extremes,” said Akash. “She is not your everyday girl. I had to work on emotional situations — pain and sadness — that I have not experienced in my life.”

For this, she attended a workshop to understand the finer aspects of acting.

Akash was last seen in Tamil film, ‘Vantha Rajavathan Varuven’, opposite Simbu. However, it was her Anu in Rajnikanth’s ‘Petta’ that her fresh looks and vivacity were appreciated.

Akash remembered being nervous during her first meeting with Dhanush. It was for the look test.

Subsequently, during shooting she found him to be a supportive co-actor.

“Dhanush is non-interfering and keeps to himself. He did not make me feel like a newcomer,” she said.

Director Menon explained the scenes and knew how to draw out the emotions from her.

“When something is not working right, he gives you options,” she said.

The supporting cast includes Sasi Kumar and debutant Senthil Veerasamy being introduced as the villain. Darbuka Siva has scored music.

The shy child who accompanied her mother — an ad filmmaker — to the sets found her fascination with the camera as a five year-old during an ad-film she shot with Malayalam director VK Prakash.

While her first film, ‘Oru Pakka Kathai’ (Tamil) is yet to release, Akash is busy with new projects. Coming up next is her Bollywood debut titled ‘Satellite Shankar.’ Directed by newcomer Irfan Kamal, she is paired opposite Sooraj Pancholi. Akash plays Pramila, a South Indian girl who is in love with a soldier.

“It is a soldier’s journey,” she said.

Akash is working on her third Telugu film, ‘Manu Charithra’, another love story. And looking forward to working with the versatile Vijay Sethupathi on her next Tamil film.

‘Enai Noki Paayum Thota’ releases in the UAE on September 6.