Nehru Mama Anirudh's Darling Dambakku - Event Story

The audio launch of Maan Karate, starring Sivakarthikeyan and Hansika happened today, 16th March, 2014, at the Sathyam cinemas. The theater witnessed a massive turnout with a huge enthusiastic crowd gathered to celebrate the release. Sivakarthikeyan, Hansika, Anirudh, Sathish, Soori, Vamsi Krishna, Gaana Bala, Shankar, Murugadoss, Deva, director Ponram, Madhan Karky, Prabhu Solomon, Keyaar and many others attended the function.

 

P. Madhan, the producer of the movie started off with an interesting story. 

 

“During an outing, we all decided to play a few games of cricket. When it came to splitting teams, we decided to have a Maan Karate Team and a Varuthapadatha Vaalibar Sangam (VVS) team. The VVS team won the first game. During lunch, I noticed the director, Thirukumaran, standing by himself. He appeared to be worried about something.

 

When I enquired the reason, I realized that it was the lost match that was troubling him. When I tried to console him, he said Maan Karate cannot lose. It has to win.

 

We started our next game post lunch. The game went up till its last over. The VVS team was batting and required four runs in the last over. However, they lost a wicket and ultimately lost the match. 

 

Thirukumaran was overjoyed that Maan Karate Team won” Madhan said

 

“Maan Karate team won because of me.” actor Sathish said when he came to speak. “But I was in the VVS team and I was the one who got out in the last over” He joked. 

 

“There was a scene in the Maan Karate script, that had some scoring points for me. Initially Thirukumaran was not sure if he wanted to have that scene in the movie at all. But after I made Maan Karate win, he told me that he will have that scene” He said laughing.

 

Lyricist Yugabharathi on the other hand asked Thirukumaran not to worry that he had lost the match, as Maan Karate was going to make it big as a movie. Speaking about the songs, the lyricist said

 

“Although I wrote the lyrics for ‘Darling Dambakku’ I seriously do not know what it means. The words were suggested by Nehru mama Anirudh”, he said indicating the Nehru style outfit Anirudh was wearing. 

 

“Shankar sir asked Murugadoss sir the meaning and ARM sir in turn asked me. I had no option but to point my finger at Anirudh”

 

He then iterated to Sivakarthikeyan that he has written the lyrics for all his movies and all of them have become a hit. “So make me write lyrics for all your movies”, he joked winning a thumbs up from the Maan Karate Hero.

 

Everybody who spoke, had a few words to say about Sivakarthikeyan’s hard work and his growth as an actor. Producer P. Madhan mentioned that he was a very hard working actor. Keyaar, the chairman of the producer’s council, stated that he has all the mileage in him to go places. Vamsi Krishna, who clearly appears to be the antagonist in the movie, commented that he had put in a lot of effort in the boxing scenes, but Siva very easily did a better job.

 

However, when Sivakarthikeyan came up to the podium to speak, he said “A lot of people here have spoken great words about me. But I do not know if I am a hero or a star. I am just happy to see myself on screen and wish to be the same always”

 

Gaana Bala appeared to be happy that Deva, the King of Gaana songs, sang a song in the movie that had his lyrics. He thanked everyone who worked in the movie and when he said “Madam Hansika” the crowd burst out in laughter. 

 

“What did I say, that makes you laugh”, he asked the crowd with a blush. “I am sure Hansika is not going to act with me. If she does, I will either have to wear high-heeled shoes or ask the set department to give me apple boxes to stand on” The blush was still on his face. He then entertained the crowd by singing the song that he had written for the movie.

 

Sivakarthikeyan too had expressed some difficulty that he faced while acting with Hansika. “She is lively all the time and extremely down to earth.” He pointed out. “But the only problem is that she speaks only in English, which is a problem for me. Sometimes in the set, when she is around, I ignore her and talk to Sathish. 

 

When Sathish asked me, why I was talking to him and not to Hansika, I told him that she speaks only English,” he said jocularly.

 

When everyone on the stage delivered long speeches that contained lines of praises and big lists of names of whom they wanted to thank, the cinematographer Sukumar was a man of few words. A man of ‘two words’ rather.

 

“Vanakkam… Nandri”, he said and quickly walked back to his seat after shaking his hands with Sivakarthikeyan, who ran up to him and congratulated him for his long speech.

 

Soori always has a bag full of stories to unzip, especially stories of the days he had been looking for opportunities to act. He narrated a similar story today, where he went to director Shankar’s house seeking for an opportunity to act.

 

“Myself and actor Appukutty were roaming in the streets looking for an opportunity to act. We came across a house, and realized it was Shankar’s house. Because the house looked like a ‘big budget’ house. The security office looked like a ‘big budget’ office. Even the dog looked big budget. 

 

I decided to go in right away and ask Shankar sir for a role. Appukutty told me that the dog is standing and looking at us. I told him, the dog hasn’t stood up yet. Its still lying down. If it stands up it will be as tall as the electric post. But I was determined to go in. Even if the dog bit me, I thought of consoling myself saying it was Shankar sir’s dog that bit me. But both the security and the dog started barking at me. 

 

It was later that we realized that the house was not Shankar sir’s, but that of a jewellery shop owner.”

 

“I am happy to share the stage with Shankar sir today.” He said and walked away after having entertained the audience for a brief moment.

 

Shankar, in response to Soori’s story stated that he would like to work with Soori. “I hope I am not bitten by Soori’s dog when I go to ask for his call sheet” He quipped. 

 

The director of Ethir Neechal, Mr. Durai Senthilkumar talked about how Siva and he would discuss about making movies like how Shankar and Murugadoss did. “Sivakarthikeyan should get a chance to act in Shankar’s and Murugadoss’ movie”,  he said before leaving the podium. 

 

Siva had a radiating grin on his face as soon as he said that. He folded his hands and thanked Senthil for those words. In fact, even Siva reiterated that when he was before the mike. 

 

“I have always wanted to work with Shankar sir and Murugadoss sir. When Murugadoss sir wanted to meet me to narrate the story of Maan Karate, I was excited. I am happy that I have got a chance to work in a movie that he has produced and written a story for.”

 

Shankar was full of praises when he spoke about the music and Anirudh, the music director of the film. “I have become a big fan of Anirudh. I have been listening to all his songs. Vanakkam Chennai is my favourite.”

 

“I just told one thing to Anirudh, when I signed him up as the music director for my upcoming movie with Vijay,” Murugadoss said. “I told him - whenever you get a new idea, even if it is for another film - don’t use it there. Use it for my film” he japed. “But after having listened to the songs of Maan Karate, it looks like I will have to break his head for a better album”

 

Soori - the man of stories - shared another story of his first meeting with Anirudh. “I was in a shoot with Sivakarthikeyan, when he told me that Dhanush had called us all for a meet up. Siva asked me to go with them too. He mentioned that Anirudh will also be present. I wanted to meet Anirudh, so I agreed to go. 

 

I saw someone who looked like a ‘Vaalai Meen (Ribbon fish) out of a washing machine’. I did not know it was Anirudh. I asked Sathish where Anirudh was. He pointed at the ‘vaalai meen’.”

 

Sivakarthikeyan was at his hilarious best at the audio launch. He started off humbly, thanking the people who offered him a helping hand when he was a nobody. He then pulled leg after leg, making elaborate comments on the director’s voice and Hansika’s English.

 

However, when he ended his speech, he concluded on a serious note. “Thirukumaran told me that he is lucky to have got Escape Artists and Murugadoss as producers in his very first movie. I told him, don’t call yourself lucky. If you are doing a movie with such grandeur today, it is because of the hard work you had put in for the past 14 years”

 

Well, the confidence and determination that was registered in a cricket match has brought Maan Karate up to its audio launch. Wishing Thirukumaran and the entire Maan Karate team a grand success.