Debutant director Arun Chidambaram found a place along Hollywood filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott and Ang Lee when his movie, Kanavu Variyam, won two Remi awards last year in Houston: a Platinum Remi for Best Theatrical Film and a Silver Remi for the song Kalla Manna, composed by first-time music director Shyam Benjamin.
At the audio launch event of the film, held in Chennai recently, Chidambaram said the film, which has won seven international awards, has exceeded his expectations.
Chidambaram quit a lucrative career at JP Morgan Chase in the US to follow his heart.
Kanavu Variyam is set in a village that suffers from major power cuts. Besides directing the film, Chidambaram has written the story and played the lead role — a young man, who despite being uneducated comes up with an innovative solution that benefits his village.
The song sequence of Kalla Manna features several children and showcases around 51 traditional Tamil Nadu games. Director Bharathiraja said that this song-sequence took him back to his childhood days in his native village. He praised Chidambaram for writing a story that was rooted in the Indian soil.
Kanavu Variyam is produced by Karthik Chidambaram, (Arun’s brother) under the banner DCKAP Cinemas. The supporting cast includes newcomer Jia Shankar, Pandi, Ilavarasu, Yog Japee, Gnana Sambanthan, Mayilsamy and Senthi Kumari.
Warner Bros is releasing the film in India on February 24.
