“They acted in my film without even fully believing in it”: Director Balaji speaks about The Dark Heaven!
“Low-budget ‘Uppuma’ films are hurting many”: A producer voices his concern!
“I didn’t have faith in the movie until I saw the trailer”: Writer Vela Ramamoorthy speaks!
“Something interesting happened every day during the shoot”: Actress Riythvika speaks!
“If you give to cinema, cinema gives back to you”: Director Mithran speaks!
“In this day and age, we have to speak up for ourselves”: Actor Sidhu speaks!
The Dark Heaven is a film produced by Kothai Entertainment and M.S. Swiss Film Factory.
It has been crafted as a mysterious crime thriller, drawing upon supernatural elements found in folklore.
The story begins with the premise that “five murders have occurred in the exact same manner, yet there are no clues,” and unfolds with thrilling twists.
Directed by Balaji, the film stars debutant lead actor Sidhu (famous for his television work), along with Dharshika, Riythvika, Vela Ramamoorthy, Nizhalgal Ravi, Chaplin Balu, and others.
Cinematography: Manikandan PK; Editing: Raja Arumugam; Music: Sakthi Balaji; Lyrics: Lavarthan.
Starring Sidhu as the lead, the film is set to release on July 17 in Tamil, English, Telugu, and Hindi, bearing the tagline “A Sidhu Investigation.”
The launch event for the film’s trailer and songs took place today at the Green Park Hotel in Chennai.
The trailer and songs were screened during the event.
At the start of the function, the three producers—Sharan, Gopal, and Manoj—addressed the gathering. Speaking on the occasion, producer Manoj said:
“Some films released these days are good, yet they fail to run successfully at the box office. While some find success on OTT platforms, not every good movie succeeds. Isn’t this a precarious situation? Just as the principle holds that it is better for a thousand guilty people to escape than for one innocent person to suffer, a good film should not go unnoticed or fail to run. Audiences are ready to welcome good films, but those films need to reach them effectively. Many substandard films are being released, but ‘The Dark Heaven’ is a film that inspires confidence and is sure to succeed. Today, many producers are fading away.
Mediocre, formulaic films—often derisively called ‘Upma movies’—harm not just the producers but many others; talented directors are denied the recognition they deserve. Producers are vital to the film industry. I am confident that this crime thriller will be a success.”
Another producer, Sharan, said:
“I initially came on board just to act in this film. However, after witnessing Balaji’s hard work and the struggles he endured for the project, I felt compelled to share in those challenges. That is why I joined the production team.”
Producer Gopal remarked:
“This is a remarkable film in Tamil cinema. Balaji is an indispensable director in the industry. He made this film with immense passion and through great personal struggle. He will certainly secure a prominent place in cinema. None of the newcomers he has introduced in this film will disappoint; the movie is bound to succeed.”
Actor Arul D. Shankar said:
“There were many amusing incidents during the making of this film; thinking back on them brings me joy even now. This is my fourth project with director Balaji, and the second one under his direction. He reshot certain scenes because he was determined to get exactly the result he envisioned. He faced immense mental stress during the production; in a moment of high tension, he struck his car, causing damage to the vehicle.” “However, without revealing his inner feelings to others, he would remain deeply engrossed in the shoot. He was always surrounded by an entourage of eleven people, much like a cricket team.
My co-stars in this film were very cooperative.
The cinematographer never smiled;
he was entirely focused on the task at hand.
An elderly man was appointed as my assistant for this shoot. His actions were amusing; everything he did made us laugh,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, actor Jayakumar said:
“He took us to locations that were barely accessible on foot to conduct the shoot. That was his unique style.
He would shoot every scene three times; he wouldn’t stop until he got it right. He filmed without worrying about anything else. His wife was always a great pillar of support for him during the shoots,” he said.
Actor and writer Vela Ramamoorthy said:
“The passing of director K. Bhagyaraj today is a huge loss. He was right beside me on the 11th during Bharathiraja’s funeral ceremony.
Now, he is gone.
I am attending this event with that heavy heart.
One day, the film’s director, Balaji, called me, saying he was speaking from Tirunelveli. It was just like how directors usually pitch a story. He spoke with great confidence over the phone. I was a bit skeptical. He told me, ‘If I fail to make this film, I will leave for America…'”
…he said. Placing my trust in his conviction, I agreed to act in the film.
During the shoot, everyone bonded like a family. This film deserves to succeed simply for the sheer effort Balaji put into it. Even big-budget films rarely shoot across so many locations; they went to great lengths to scout and film in these places. To be honest, I didn’t have much faith in the movie until I saw the trailer. But now, I can say with confidence: this film won’t fail. He won’t need to go to America [for work],” she said.
Speaking on the occasion, Director Mithran said:
“I was delighted when I watched the trailer. Their hard work shines through in it. Cinema gives back exactly what you put into it. The media should extend its support to films like this.”
Actor Pugazh said:
“I’ve known Sidhu, the film’s lead, for a month now. He is affectionate with everyone and always calls me ‘Darling.’ The film’s concept is beautiful. Many of the people involved in this project are my friends. Best wishes to everyone.”
Music Director Sakthi Balaji said:
“This is my third film as a composer, following Udanpaal and Jackie.
It is a matter of both joy and pride for me to have someone I deeply admire, like Vela Ramamoorthy sir, in my film. There are four songs in the movie, and all of them are deeply integrated into the narrative. Whenever Director Balaji came to meet me, he was always accompanied by a group of ten people; that shows just how united the film’s team was.”
Actress Riythvika said:
“Looking back now, it’s amazing to see how far this film has come. It brings me great happiness to see it reach this stage after overcoming so many struggles.” “It is truly an achievement to have shot 70% of the film, discarded it, and then reshot the entire movie in the same locations—bringing it all the way to release. It is astonishing. Their perseverance is the reason behind this. During filming, problems arose daily—misunderstandings occurred, and the weather played tricks: it wouldn’t rain when we needed it to, yet it would pour when we didn’t want it.
Despite all this, Director Balaji worked tirelessly, constantly on the move. He really ought to have a manager to handle these tasks; no one should have to struggle by doing everything alone.
Today, films like Habibi and Nooru Saami are succeeding based solely on the strength of their stories. In that same vein, this film will also succeed; please extend your support,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, actor Mime Gopi said:
“I am happy to see my younger brother Sithu reach this stage. Many of the people who acted in this film are my acquaintances, friends, and younger brothers and sisters. Cinema is a beautiful field; I find joy in being part of it. There are 1.4 billion people in our country, yet how many are captured by the camera? It records only the select few who act in films. Those in the film industry hold a position of such distinction.
Cinema transforms everyone. We play various roles, shifting between good characters and bad ones. Cinema is a medium that offers opportunities to all talented individuals. Always keep happiness close and push sorrow away; we can live a happy life,” he said.
Director Balaji said:
“It is saddening to hear about the passing of Director Bhagyaraj Sir. When I first entered the film industry, he was the very first person to whom I narrated a story.
Producer Sharan came on board for this film out of genuine passion. Without him, this movie would not have reached this stage.” “Similarly, Gopal and my younger brother Manoj stood by me as great pillars of support. Many others also supported me in this project, and I thank them all. Through this film, Sidhu is set to reach a significant position in his career. I hail from Tirunelveli, not Chennai. I am delighted that Dharshika came on board as the Tamil-speaking female lead. The film took on a new dimension as actors like Riythvika joined the cast one by one. They cooperated so well that once I handed over the scene papers, they would handle everything themselves.
Everyone has performed brilliantly. I certainly put them through a lot of hard work. Some people harbored doubts about the film and about me—they were skeptical—yet I managed to complete it. I am very confident about the outcome.”
Speaking on the occasion, the film’s lead actor, Sidhu, said:
“Mime Gopi anna is like a mentor to me. He runs an acting school where I learned a great deal; it was through him that I was introduced to many people.
In today’s times, we have to speak for ourselves and put ourselves forward; that is the era we live in. I view this film as a major opportunity following my role in the Thirumanam series. I learned a lot through this project.
I also learned a great deal from the other actors involved. For instance…”
Even if we are shooting at three or four in the night, Jayakumar sir will come and talk to us and make us laugh. I wonder how he can do it. I have learned everything from everyone like this. I request everyone to come to the theater and watch this film and support it,” he said.
‘The Dark Heaven’ movie releases worldwide on July 17.
A mysterious land. Shocking murders. When assumptions blur the truth, the unimaginable becomes reality. Here’s the riveting trailer of #TheDarkHeaven
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youtu.be/9t2-keYiSas?si…
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