Shruti takes vision further
SHRUTI Haasan will headline the India-UK film co-production Chennai Story. She said she was ready to take forward a culturally-rooted story to an international audience.
“Hailing from Chennai, a story showing the diversity and uniqueness of Chennai is so special to me. Collaborating with Phil (John) is something I’m so excited to experience, telling global and rooted stories through international collaboration is what making cinema is all about. I’m all up for Sunitha Tati’s
vision of taking a culturally-rooted story to an international audience through Chennai Story.”
Haasan who is also a musician, has acting credits across India’s various language film industries.
She was one of the leads in Salaar,
one of India’s biggest hits of last year, and led the British thriller The Eye. In 2019, she had a key role in the US series Treadstone.
Adapted from Timeri N Murari’s bestselling 2004 novel, The Arrangements of Love, Chennai Story is a coming-ofage romantic comedy set against the backdrop of Wales and India, where Haasan takes on the pivotal role of Anu, a spunky private detective.
The role was previously supposed to be played by Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who is now taking a year’s sabbatical due to health reasons.
The cast includes Viveik Kalra, who was the lead in Blinded by the Light.
The film is written and directed by Bafta winner Philip John and co-written by British Sri Lankan actor Nimmi Harasgama, who played the female lead in Funny Boy.
Chennai Story is an English-language film interspersed with Tamil and Welsh.