One of the much-anticipated films of the year, "Kaaviya Thalaivan", will hit the theatres on 28 November. The film, directed by Vasanthabalan, will be released simultaneously in Tamil and Malayalam.
Check out five major reasons why film-goers should watch "Kaaviya Thalaivan":
Genre and Plot
"Kaaviya Thalaivan" is a Tamil musical, set in Madurai during the 1920s and 30s. The story revolves around old drama schools and the life of stage artistes and singers of the period.
Not often do Tamil filmbuffs get to watch their favourite actors together in a big-budget film. The film is expected to reflect the customs, culture and lifestyle that existed in the pre-independent Madurai. The trailer of the film has also assured that it is going to be a story of love, friendship, hatred and jealousy, all outlined on the backdrop of freedom struggle.
The thread is said to be inspired by the love story of KP Sundarambal and S Kitappa. Sundarambal is often referred to as the "Queen of Indian Stage" and was also a political activist.
Direction by Vasanthabalan
"Kaaviya Thalaivan" is helmed by one of the most prolific film-makers, Vasanthabalan. The director has proved his capability of bringing out classic films through his earlier movies – "Veyil', "Angaadi Theru" and "Aravan" – which pioneered the new wave movement in Tamil cinema.
"Kaaviya Thalaivan" is considered to be a product of extensive research by the director as he has spent nearly 12 months doing just researches on veteran theatre artistes and their whereabouts from existing theatre clubs that existed in Madurai, Dindigul, Karur and Pudukottai.
The film is expected to be yet another classic, which will reflect the craftsmanship of the director.
Music by AR Rahman
AR Rahman's music for the film is the most-discussed aspect of the film. The two-and-a-half hour film has got 14 songs — including seven short ones of about two-three minutes each.
The film apparently demanded him to research much on theatre music of 18th century Madurai. The music, which is a mix of folk culture and typical Rahman style, was earlier released and had garnered highly positive reviews.
Casting and Performance
Another important aspect of the film would be the cast, which is the amalgamation of the best talents. The film stars Siddharth, Prithviraj, Vedhika, Anaika Soti, Nasser, Thambi Ramaiah, Ponvannan, Babu Anton, Singampuli and Mansoor Ali Khan in pivotal roles. The astounding chemistry between these actors is said to be the highlight of the movie.
The film is touted to have best of performance by the actors and since the story of the film is about the theatre artistes, it will see each actor in an average of 25 looks. Siddharth, who plays the lead in the film, will be spotted in 40 looks.
After a long gap, Prithviraj will be spotted in a character with negative shade and Vedhika will don the role of Sundarambal onscreen.
Technical Aspects
Other than Vasantha Balan and AR Rahman, "Kaaviya Thalaivaan" is well supported by other National Award winners including lyricist Pa Vijay, actor Thambi Ramaiah, make-up artist Pattanam Rasheed, editor Praveen and costume designer Selvam.
The cinematography of the film is done Nirav Shah, who has done cinematography of films like "Saivam", "Thalaivaa", "Thaandavam", "Madrasapattinam", "Thaandavam", "Billa' and "Dhoom".
The film also has the last song penned by the late Kavignar Vaali, "Krishna Vijayam" while the late Raghuram Master has done the choreography for two of the songs in the movie
