Tamil cinema geniuses should be celebrated: Director Vasantha Balan speaks!
Writing is the foundation of cinema. Cinema is deteriorating due to the lack of writing: Director Kathir speaks!
Make good films on a small budget: Cinematographer P. C. Sriram speaks!
Like Ilayaraja, P. C. Sriram should also be celebrated: Director Vasantha Balan speaks!
The preview and song launch of the film ‘Dream Girl’ was held at the Prasad Lab Cinema in Chennai.
Cinematographer P. C. Sriram directed the film ‘Meera’ and the director of ‘Azhiyaatha Kolangal 2’, directed by M.R. Bharathi, the writer of the film ‘Dream Girl’, starring newcomers Jeeva, Harisha, Prabhu Shastha, Indira and others. Solomon Bose has done the cinematography for the film. Ilamaran has composed the music. Dialogues by Hemanth Selvaraj. Art direction by Kalai.
Editing by K.P. Ahamed.
Produced by Charulatha Films. Songs released by Sarigama.
The preview and songs of the film were released by famous cinematographer P.C. Sriram. The special guests who came to the festival were received. A large number of directors and technicians participated in the festival.
Speaking at the ceremony, the film’s cinematographer Solomon Bose said,
“I thank M. R. Bharathi for giving me the opportunity in the first place. When I met director M. R. Bharathi and was talking about the film, he said that we can shoot in Chennai. I said that I can shoot in Ooty. He said to take wide shots, landscapes, and take them on the phone like two people walking. I took them and sent them the next day. He looked at them and said that we are shooting in Ooty. The weather and colors of Ooty were very good. We went as a small team and shot them well.”
Speaking to the film’s hero, Jeeva,
“It was an unforgettable experience to act in this film. I thank my co-stars. The director is very kind, he is like a child. He always thinks positively. He gives hope to everyone. I wish this film success.”
While Prabhu Shastha, who is acting in the film, spoke,
“I have played a character named Aravind in this film. The director had a world in his mind. Thank you for choosing me for the character in that world. He is very kind. He does not talk much and is positive-minded.
Cinematographer Solomon Bose’s cinematography has a romantic language. If he chooses a color and makes us stand in it, it will be very good.
Hemanth has written the dialogues like Manivannan sir. I thank everyone who worked with me in the film. It may seem easy to watch, but we have been shooting with difficulty in very difficult places,” he said.
While writer-director Ajayan Bala spoke,
“P. C. Sriram, who made dreams come true in Tamil Nadu, has come here. I joined my brother M. R. Bharathi as an assistant director. He should have been a director sometime. It has been a bit late. He is a good brother and friend to me. We have been friends for 30 years.
When I came to Chennai, he was a source of hope in Chennai. He himself has been searching for a place for himself and creating it. Despite this, he was a source of hope for many. He has done many commercial films. He is always struggling. Not only that, he always gives hope to others.
If you say a good line, even if you say a beautiful scene, he will enjoy it like a child.
He is a world-class movie watcher. He introduces world cinema to his friends. He always feels himself as a fan. That fan mind is what keeps him alive. He is a dream boy. This film is his dream. Now, technology has developed so much, they say ‘AI’. No ‘AI’ can create beauty. As long as there is that beauty, the world will not perish. The songs of this film will be in everyone’s playlist. This is a film that talks about dreams. He has made this as his dream film. Congratulations on the success of the film,” he said.
Director Nanda Periyasamy spoke,
” Bharathi has a special place among my friends. One day he called us and said he has a story to talk about.
We, Lingusamy, Balaji Sakthivel and Brinda Sarathi, went to the place he called. He invited us to a resort in Selaiyur and had a meal to cool off without talking about the story. We thought it was so comfortable to talk about the story.
He has achieved many achievements in his publishing industry through his hard work. When I came to Chennai from my village, he was the one who introduced me to Anton Cheka and Akira Kurosawa, who had only seen ordinary commercial films. He made me wonder if all these people were in cinema. He is a great fan. If you tell a good poem, he will give you a prize of 500 rupees. He has expanded our reading. His one-line story has become this wonderful film.
Congratulations for the success of the film.”
While speaking, the heroine of the film, Harisha,
“Big legends have come here. It is a pleasure to share such a stage with them. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. When director Bharathi sir was selecting the actors, he called me. After seeing them, he said, “You are my dream girl.” I was happy. The shooting took place for 25 days. It was a very enjoyable experience. I realized that we are beautiful only after watching this film.
Congratulations for the success of the film.”
While speaking, director and story writer Brinda Sarathi,
“Director MR Bharathi has come to this place from journalism. I have known him since 1992.
After the film ‘Meera’, he surprised me with ‘Azhiyaath Kolamangal 2’. Now he has done this film.
Although he did not have a chance in cinema, he was a winner in the TV world. He took the stories of winners and produced programs for television. He has also made many commercial films and I worked as an assistant director at that time. I have traveled with him to many places for that.
He continued to operate even though he received a small income from that. His wife is an engineering professor. He initially searched for a book he wrote for an engineering college to be included in the course of the college as a supplementary subject. But it became a big success and today he is a very successful publisher.
When I first met him, when I asked him his favorite film, I said ‘Moonram Prai’ and he agreed.
My favorite films were ‘Mauna Ragam’, ‘Muthal Aarti’, ‘Uthiri Pookkal’. He was the one who introduced me to world cinema. He was the one who first talked about the film ‘Charulatha’. He introduced geniuses like Akira Kurosawa.
He has excellent taste. After a long gap, he directed a wonderful film called ‘Azhiyaatha Kolamangal 2’. He made me think whether I could do this in filmmaking.
Every person has a dream. This film is that dream.
I don’t know how to talk to P.C. Sriram who is here and what questions to ask him. I asked him how P.C. Sriram came into being. At that time, his aunt is a famous translator and writer Saraswati Ramnath. He has become interested in literature after seeing many writers who come to meet him. One day, he took him to a meeting. It was a meeting where J. Krishnamurthy spoke. At that time, he kept in mind what he had said, ‘Look at the world with your own eyes’ and instead of looking at it with the eyes that the world sees, he started looking at it with your own eyes. All those scenes looked beautiful to us in a different way.
Congratulations on the success of this film,” he said.
Director Kathir spoke,
“I was familiar with M.R. Bharathi when I was in college. At that time, I worked as a designer for many films. All were small films. He worked as an assistant director in the film ‘Veliyilla Mamaram’. I have known him since then.
He is a good reader.
The reason for my book knowledge is because of him. There are many books at his house. When we go to his house, we read a lot of Russian novels. We go there and read them again and again.
Writing is very essential for cinema. Writing is the foundation of cinema itself, and because of its absence, Tamil cinema has deteriorated today. No one reads. But Bharathi is here as a director with books and writing as his weapon. My best wishes to him.
The film has come out like poetry. I wish him success,” he said.
. Film College Principal and painter Kalaimamani Trotsky Marudhu said,
“I have known Bharathi since the time he came to Chennai.
Many friends who were familiar with him then have come here.
Bharathi is my good friend. I wish this film success.” He said.
Director Vasanthapalanan spoke,
“I worked as an assistant editor in the film ‘Meera’. At that time, PC Sriram sir would often come there to see the editor Lenin – Vijayan. I would be amazed to see the scenes of the film that he had shot.
The cinematographer P. C. Sriram is no less proud of the musician Ilayaraja.
It was in his cinematography that even the ordinary house that we had seen until then looked beautiful. I came to know that the house is so beautiful only after watching his film ‘Mouna Ragam’. I wondered if even a cotton sari could be made to look beautiful.
In the song ‘Thee Didithithikum Thee’ from the film ‘Thiruda Thiruda’, he would have shown even the Egmore Museum that we have seen so far so beautifully.
I saw that film at Kamala Theatre. When the lights went out and on in that song, the theatre audience applauded seeing his light show. When I watched it again, the same scene was applauded.
This cinematographer is a genius who has won applause for his cinematography beyond dialogues and acting. He has added something special through his cinematography. Many of the best cinematographers in India today have come through him.
He is a poet who wrote poetry through the light system. He performed magic through it. He proved that even sound can tell a story. His films like ‘Kruthipunal’ and ‘Agni’ Nakshatra were amazing in 35 mm film at a time when there was no AI.
He has shown his genius cinematography in ‘Alaipayude’, ‘Okay Kanmani’ and ‘Seeni Kum’. He has performed great magic. He is someone who should be celebrated by Tamil cinema. Cinematographers should be celebrated. I hereby request that a festival be held for him soon and this genius should be celebrated.
I was very happy when Trotsky Marudhu took charge of the neglected MGR Film College. I was very happy to hear the news that 10 crore rupees have been allocated for the college. I hope that the film college will have a bright future from now on.
This film directed by Bharathi should be a success, he said and congratulated the film crew.
Famous cinematographer P.C. Sriram while speaking,
“When I saw everyone praising Bharathi here, I was thrilled when everyone said the same thing. I have attended different festivals. This is the first time I am attending the Cinema Audio Festival. Can Bharathi refuse an invitation?
He has risen through his friendship. I am happy.
We have a long friendship. We have many stories. There are many stories from his marriage.
He turned a line of story that I told into a screenplay. He turned it into an interesting one.
It was good. It wouldn’t be a regular film. He should have done meaningful small budget films like this. He doesn’t want big budget films of several crores of rupees. This film should do well. Congratulations to Bharathi,” he said.
Director M.R. Bharathi said,
“When I was looking for an assistant director opportunity for cinema, the right film didn’t come along. I worked as an assistant director in small films. I worked in the film ‘Nenjamellam Neeye’. That was a decent film.
After many years after the film ‘Meera’, we shot the film ‘Azhiyaath Kolamangal 2’ in 12 days. When we started working on that film, Archana came forward to produce it. Archana came forward to produce it so that I wouldn’t get into financial trouble. At that time, I said that Revathi can be made the director, so that the film will have value. This is your dream. You should direct it. We shot that film in 12 days. Lakhs of people have watched it on YouTube.
We went with a plan to shoot four scenes for this ‘Dream Girl’ film. But we have completed the entire film. We shot most of the scenes in 16 days.
Cinema is not difficult. We should not struggle unnecessarily.
If opportunities do not come our way, we can take a break from it and go again. If we look away a little, we will get an opening.
I have never struggled to get an opportunity in cinema. Cinema should be believed in and loved.
If we know how to make a film economically on a small budget, it will save us. If we make it economically, the losses will also be less.
First, I wrote the story and dialogues for the film ‘Meera’. B. C. Sir directed it. After that, since I loved cinema, I always tried to stay within it.
I produced a lot of advertisements and promotional films for Raj TV. I published books for colleges. First, we published a small book for Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU). That small book became a huge success because there was only one curriculum for the whole of India. After that, I entered that field and have been successfully running Charulatha Publication for 26 years.
Since the dream of cinema within me was not destroyed, I was able to take ‘Azhiyaath Kolamangal 2’ even after that. Please cooperate to make this film a success,” he said.
Actress Indira delivered the welcome address. TV anchor Sumaya moderated the program.
