He is one Tamil director whose unique film styling and realistic shots keep viewers engaged and pondering long after the curtains have come down.
Mysskin is ready with Thupparivaalan (Detective), releasing in the UAE on September 14.
From its trailer, we caught actor Vishal in a completely different look — quirky with dark glasses and a cap — while his dialogue delivery is quite curt. Surprising us further is Vinay Rai, the hero of many love stories emerging as the anti-hero. Thupparivaalan obviously carries great expectations.
Mysskin said that Thupparivaalan is a detective thriller inspired by Sherlock Holmes.
“My first literature book was a collection of Sherlock Holmes’ short stories,” he said, “I was 12 then and there was no stopping after that.”
Myskkin who said that his grandmother was his first story teller.
Vishal plays a private detective who takes up a simple case but the investigation leads him to a gang of evil men who are more intelligent than him and who are involved in heinous crimes.
Busting his earlier image, Vishal transformed his looks and body language, surrendering himself completely to his director.
Actor Prasanna plays a character that resembles Dr Watson from the Holmes stories.
Veteran director-actor Bhagyaraj’s role has been kept under wraps. All Mysskin revealed is that “this role will be a peculiar one in Bhagyaraj’s career.”
Thupparivaalan has anecdotes from Indian independence activist Subramaniya Bharathi and Mahatma Gandhi as well as moments of love, friendship and ego.
The supporting cast includes Malayalam actress Anu Emmanuel, Andrea, Simran, John Vijay, Thalaivasal Vijay and Jayaprakash.
Thupparivaalan was filmed in Chennai with the climax portion shot in a lagoon in Pichavaram in Tamil Nadu.
Watch out for the scene choreographed by Kafi involving martial arts. Mysskin referred to it as “a symphony of body movements and punches.”
“Thupparivaalan is something I always wanted to write,” he added. This is the first time in Tamil cinema where a story is hinged around a private detective.
Mysskin will be acting in the film Savarakathi, which he has written.
“It is pivoted around two men; one a barber and the other a lone shark who holds within him deep anger. How these two personalities and their ideologies clash is the story,” he said.
Director Ram plays the barber and Mysskin is the loner.
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When Vinay Rai turned evil
Thupparivaalan is one film that will excite Vinay Rai’s fans.
The tall model-turned-actor who debuted with Unnale Unnale will reveal a new side to his talent in Mysskin’s Tamil film.
“My character resembles Professor James Moriarty, the criminal mastermind from Sherlock Holmes’ stories,” said Rai, who jumped on the offer when he received the call from Mysskin’s office.
The trailer offers a peek at Rai’s role. He has a clean-shaven look and with a menacing glint in his eye he says: “Welcome Mr Detective. Today many heads are going to roll.”
Rai said that after working in more than 10 films, his experience with director Mysskin was a different school of learning.
“I had to unlearn several things for my character,” said Rai, who had to hold back the loud acting that he had gotten used to.
“Mysskin wanted a subtle performance and many times I had to restrain myself from overacting. His attention to tiny details and his staging of actors is remarkable. With little things that went into holding a cup in a particular way and in the body mannerisms were effective in portraying my character,” said Rai.
Working with an ensemble of established actors like Vishal, Prasanna and Bhagyaraj made Thupparivaalan more enjoyable.
“There are 10 characters in the story and each one is significant. No one interfered in the other’s work,” said Rai who has completed another Tamil film, Nethra, directed by A. Venkatesh.
“It’s a story set in Canada and about a family that migrates from India to Canada. My character in this story offers them refuge. Again it is not a regular hero role,” he said.
