| |
|
 |
|
| Home
> Movie
Preview |
|
| ORR
IRAVU MOVIE PREVIEW |
|
| Behindwoods
review board |
|
Direction:
Hari Shankar, Hareesh Narayan & Krishna
Sekhar
Music:
Venkat Prabu Shankar
Production: Hari
Shankar |
|
What happens when a unit embarks on a shooting
schedule to a haunted house in Kodaikkanal
with the intentions of making a horror film?
Well, in normal course, they would shoot
what they intend to and come back, edit,
mix and then release it as another horror
flick. But, what if they were to find out
that the supernatural force they had scripted
actually exists in the house they were shooting
in? That is what the team of Oru Iravu will
be telling you.
Well, this will look more like a case of
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not rather
than a movie. But, it does look like the
docu-fiction horror genre has finally arrived
in India. Well, for those unfamiliar with
this genre, here is a small introduction
which might prepare you better for what
is in store in theaters.
The attempt is to give an audience a first
person experience of being in the vicinity
of a supernatural power. Such films are
never shot in the conventional manner i.e.
with a proper track and trolley, crane or
steady-cam setting. The intention is instead
to give a realistic experience to the viewer
by candid shots |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
taken through handycams and other such ‘non-cinema’
equipments. Such films try to blur the line between
reality and fiction, trying to make the events on screen
like real experiences of the characters involved.
Some of the famous experiments that can be connected
to this genre are the Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield
and the recently released Paranormal Activity. Though
it is difficult to draw parallels between each of these
films, they all have tried highly unconventional styles
of filmmaking. The Blair Witch Project took up the mystery
of a well known local fable, put in actors without telling
them the actual plot and virtually made them go through
harrowing experiences, catching them on camera and editing
18 hours of footage to get a 90 minute feature film
widely believed to be one of the most effective horror
flicks ever made. Cloverfield is told entirely on handycam
footage, making the viewer feel the hustle and chaos
of a group of friends on the run. Paranormal Activity
is told through the footage of a camera placed on a
tripod, recording nocturnal supernatural activity.
All three won great acclaim and succeeded in scaring
the living daylights out of many viewers (Cloverfield
is more thriller than horror). Now, can Oru Iravu do
the same to the viewers in Tamil Nadu? With claims of
being recording of a true experience, it does look good
enough to pull off some scares.
The uniqueness of Oru Iravu will be in its presentation.
It will be a ‘viewpoint’ film throughout,
i.e the film will be told through the viewpoint of one
character and the makers feel that every single audience
will be able to get a first person experience of the
character and be involved in a very direct way with
the proceedings on screen.
How was this accomplished? Well, it is said that the
camera was strapped on to the forehead of one of the
actors whose face obviously never appears in the film
(and each viewer will give their face to the character).
Looks like it is going to be a gripping experience.
Oru Iravu has been directed by three men; Hari Shankar,
Harish Narayanan and Krishna Shekhar. Music has been
scored by Venkat Prabhu Shankar and camera as been handled
by Satheesh.
Earlier titled Eraa, it was changed to Oru Iravu upon
Kalaipuli S Thanu’s suggestion after he was highly
impressed with the final product. The rights for the
title, originally owned by AVM, were also obtained upon
Thanu’s request.
Such a unique and ground breaking attempt in Indian
cinema (not just in Tamil cinema) ought to be encouraged.
We can say that Tamil cinema might be entering a new
age of film making. Try out an experience where the
camera/you are on of the characters. Looks like the
Indian answer to the Blair Witch Project and Paranormal
Activity is here. |
|
| Tags
: Orr
Iravu, Krishna
Shekhar,
Venkat Prabhu Shankar,
Satheesh,
Eraa |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
