National Award-winning filmmaker Vetri Maaran's Viduthalai: Part 1 is scheduled to release in theatres worldwide on March 31 and acclaimed Tamil writer Jeyamohan recently sat down with Galatta for an exclusive interview to talk about the upcoming film, which is based on his short story titled Thunaivan. During the interaction, Jeyamohan opened up on how Vetri Maaran had approached him for the story rights of Thunaivan to be made as Viduthalai.
- UPCOMING! Check out the exciting and massive line-up of Vetri Maaran after Viduthalai!
- Vetri Maaran's Viduthalai: Part 1 gets a new big release announcement - Breaking! Check it out!
- OFFICIAL: New release announcement for Vetri Maaran's Viduthalai: Part 1 - Big Breaking!
- Exciting big update on Vetri Maaran's Viduthalai: Part 1 - here is what Vijay Sethupathi has to say!
Talking about how he got introduced to Vetri Maaran, Jeyamohan said, "I've known him from before. He was a scholar of Balu Mahendra and the junior of my close friend and writer Suga. Every year, on behalf of my reader's circle, we present an award to senior writers called the 'Vishnupuram Award' at Coimbatore. We follow the custom of inviting prominent Tamil cinema artistes to present the award and Mani Ratnam was first to grace the awards ceremony. Bharathiraja too has come. Ilaiyaraaja as well. Bala has also come. If Bala comes, Vetri Maaran has to join in as well, right? I've known him since then."
Explaining how Vetri Maaran had approached him for the story of Viduthalai, Jeyamohan stated, "He was on the verge of finishing the work on a film. He had written the script and was about to start the work on the film titled Ajnabee. It was going to be based on my friend and Kanyakumari-based Tamil writer Meeran Mydeen's Ajnabi story. That film's shooting had not progressed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the team could not go to any of the locations they wanted to for filming. Although Ajnabi has been put on hold, it will come out because the story is as such. I recently met Meeran Mydeen and told him that he himself could make it as a film since he has experience in cinema. After Ajnabi was halted, he (Vetri Maaran) needed another story and that is when he asked me for this story. He initially asked for a story called Kaithigal, but I had already given my word to my friend Rafiq Ismail."
Vetri Maaran's Viduthalai is a two-parter and stars Soori making his debut in the lead role as a police constable, while 'Makkal Selvan' Vijay Sethupathi is cast as a rebel leader, followed by filmmakers Gautham Vasudev Menon and Rajiv Menon appearing in key roles. The period crime thriller has been produced by Elred Kumar's RS Infotainment banner and features music composed by 'Isaignani' Ilaiyaraaja.
Watch Jeyamohan talk about Viduthalai and more in the interview below:
