S Gopinath, cinematographer
Why a 20-year-old lm starring Vijay is being celebrated by Tamil cinema fans today
YVijay and Trisha in a still from (below) director Dharani. has crowds thronging theatres, despite the IPL buzz. Why is a 20-year-old Tamil lm still being celebrated? Director Dharani has the answers.
Question:
We last met 20 years ago and spoke about the same lm, and here, we are, speaking about it yet again...
Dharani:
When I heard about the re-release, I imagined that it would be a one-day celebration, like a Vidyasagar concert or an AR Rahman concert. I never imagined that it would become such a celebration. People in the theatres are literally completing the dialogues. The lm and its content has remained alive till now, and I’m grateful to the media and fans for celebrating it that way.
Q:
Why do you think Ghilli, which has been played multiple times on television, is still being celebrated?
I think it is because of the emotion behind the lead actor, who played a ‘good boy’, and for that, I am indebted to writer Gunasekar who helmed the Telugu original, Okkadu, which we remade as Ghilli. It has a naughty protagonist, who quarrels with his sister and has a
Dharani:
I’m thrilled about the re-release hype, and I still fondly recall shooting at the massive seven-acre set, which was conceived by art director Maniraj, where all the lighthouse and beach sequences were shot. I was injured during its shooting and had to take a small break while recuperating; so, while I shot the entire film, I requested KV Anand (the late cinematographer) to step in to shoot the ‘Appadi Podu’ song sequence alone.