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| Arya
starrer Auto – a movie born in
auto ride!! |
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There is something quintessentially
Chennai about the auto and the auto
drivers in the city. You won't find
the likes of them anywhere in the
country. Be it their nonchalant attitude,
their love to indulge in casual banter,
their utter disregard for traffic
rules, or the practically non-existent
meter, that is there only as an accessory
– Chennai and auto have a relationship
that is unique in comparison to any
other city in the country. |
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Chennai
auto drivers are different from others
And
that is exactly the concept that the husband-wife
duo, Pushkar and Gayatri want to make a
film on. Titled, quite obviously, Auto,
with Arya and Pooja in the lead, and under
the production of A P Film Gardens, the
film is, in the words of the filmmakers,
a tribute to the city. Nirav Shah is handling
the cinematography, while music is by G
V Prakash.They duo chorus, "Auto drivers
in Chennai are so different from that of
Delhi or Mumbai. Even though they work under
so much stress, they never lose their keen
sense of humour!" |
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The only husband and wife team of
filmmakers
Having met in Loyolla College during their
visual communications course, Pushkar and
Gayatri also have the distinction of being
the only husband and wife team of filmmakers
in the country! And why not? Since college,
this couple has been working together, be
it their college newspaper, freelance work,
making advertisements, working as assistants,
and even undertaking a filmmaking course
in the US, before finally tying the knot
in 2004. |
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Pushkar
in Kamal’s Aalavandhan
They
have worked in the film, Return of
the Thief of Baghdad, a multi-crore
project with Chiranjeevi in the lead.
They began their career in cinema
as assistant directors in this project
before taking charge of the motion
control wing. Later, Pushkar handled
the motion control for Kamal Hassan's
Aalavandhan, while Gayatri worked
in a French film. |
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An
idea from Auto ride
With many advertisements to their credit,
Auto was an idea that, well, came by during
an auto ride! "We were returning home
from a friend's house when our bike broke
down. So we took an autorickshaw and our
driver was extremely entertaining with his
nonstop chatter. That's when the idea hit
us, and we worked on the script." And
they even roped in a friend for the project,
who helped them with the dialogue for the
film. |
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Arya comes in
Like thorough professionals, they
approached Arya with a fully bound
script, while he was working on Pattiyal,
and Arya immediately agreed to work
on this project. The couple reveal
that their first choice was Arya for
his "local appeal" and because
he is a "natural charmer".More
than just a simple auto ride being
the inspiration behind the film, it
is the common passion for the city
they share. "We love Chennai,
despite the heat, dust and corruption,
and we believe that autos are certainly
symbolic of the city in many ways,"
they say. |
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Chennai
the Auto city
Their passion lies in bringing out
the essence of the city, and for this
purpose, the entire film is being
shot in actual locations in the city.
With a drive to elucidate the charm
of Chennai, Auto is not just a film
for this couple, but a dream. "There
are so many films about other cities
like Mumbai, etc, but none that bring
out the sights, sounds and colours
of Chennai. In spite of globalization,
Chennai has managed to retain its
traditional values. This is the crux
of our film, and therefore, Auto can
come alive only in the city of Chennai." |
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