''THUPPAKKI EXPERIENCE HELPED ME''

Director AR Murugadoss is not just known for delivering quality content, but also responsible for many assistants from his school to start out as independent directors. The latest from his stable is Harshvardhana who is ready with his first film China. We catch up with the director.

Cine family
I belong to cine family and have always wanted to enter movies. My grandfather was cinematographer J G Vijayam who had worked in films like Mandhiri Kumari, Ponmudi and Kalaiarasi to name some. 

ARM connect
I have worked with ARM sir in Thuppakkai and 7Aum Arivu. I was with him till the discussion of Hindi Thuppaakki after which I started out on my own.

China
China is a suspense thriller centered around a youngster who runs a shop in Burma Bazaar. It is a struggling life for him and he tries hard to make both ends meet. The film is about how he encounters his struggles. There comes a time in his life when he is desperate for money. That’s when he gets an offer and what this offer does to him is the story all about. 

China is a mixed genre which will have romance, friendship, action and other elements. It is generally said that suspense thrillers won’t reach B & C centres. But I have a lot of elements in my film that would reach out to that audience too.

Specialty of China
The specialty of China is it is shot in signature locations of Chennai. We never erected sets. We shot in places like Burma Bazaar, Sowcarpettai and managed to do them with guerilla shots. I have the experience of shooting for Thuppakki in crowded areas in Mumbai which helped me a great deal here. When we were shooting in Sowcarpettai, we can start only around 1 am as lorries would leave around 1 am and be back by 3 am. So we needed to finish our shoot in the interim period. There were so many organisms that used to move on our feet. But the entire crew was supportive and we completed the shoot. Locations would be special in China. 

Cast
Kalaiyarasan and Ritu Verma (from Hyderabad) play the leads. Kaththi Rama and Yog Jappi play pivotal roles in the film. Yog Jappi has done a negative role. He is an extremely promising actor. 

Technical team
Aarkash Media is producing China. Abinandan Ramanujam who had worked in the Malayalam film Amen, Double Barrel is the DoP. He is Gold Medalist from LV Prasad institute. He is also working with KV Anand in the Vijay Sethupathi film and in Kavalai Vendam. Prasnna who has done Maari and who is working in Selvaraghavan’s Nenjam Marapadhillai is the editor.  He is Sreekar Prasad’s assistant and also LV Prasad Institute’s Gold Medalist. Ved Shankar of Nadula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom is the music director. I have a very strong team on board.

Release
We wanted to release before Kabali but have decided to release after Kabali.

Best of Luck to Harshavardhana and China!

Jyothsna Bhavanishankar

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