‘Oru Oorla Rendu Raja’: On travel and friendship

It often happens on a train journey, even on a long bus journey, that you get chatting with your co-passengers and as the hours fly by, you bond so well that it feels like having known them forever.

R. Kannan’s Oru Oorla Rendu Raja is a travel story that begins from Thoothukudi, a port town in Tamil Nadu.

“Michael and Azhagu are two friends [played by Vimal and Soori] who leave their village and board a train to Chennai,” said Kannan.

On this journey, they strike a friendship with a doctor played by Priya Anand. An incident en route changes their lives completely as they take it upon themselves to help their co-passenger.

“It is a story that has been inspired from a true incident and carries a social message relevant today,” he added.

The first half of the film was shot on a train and the second half on the roads. Vimal has undergone a makeover, not only in his looks and attire, but he has also worked on his dance.

The biggest challenge for Kannan was shooting the film at Mayavaram railway station, where a large crowd gathered. “Being an accident-prone area, we were constantly worrying about mishaps.”

D. Imman has scored music. Actress Lakshmi Menon makes her singing debut with Kukkuru Kukkuru. P.G. Muthiah is the cinematographer.

Produced by S. Michael Rayappan, Oru Oorla Rendu Raja releases on November 6.