CHENNAI: Recently, DT Next visited the sets of Maddy, starring Rio Raj and Saniya Iyappan. The film has been drawing attention since its first poster was unveiled in March.

Produced by Kalai Arasu under Roll Time Studio, it marks his first venture as a producer after co-producing films including Kanaa, Kottukkaali and Thaaikizhavi under SK Productions. Directed by Karthikeyan, the film has music by Dhibu Ninan Thomas.

At the shooting spot, the team had recreated the atmosphere of the IPL final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, held at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. The set featured stadium seating, team colours and cheering fans to resemble the match. Rio was seen wearing an MS Dhoni CSK jersey, while Saniya sported Virat Kohli’s RCB jersey.

We spoke to Rio, Saniya, director Karthikeyan and producer Kalai Arasu. Kalai was also actively involved on the floor, working alongside the crew and overseeing the shoot. For debutant director Karthikeyan, Maddy has turned out to be much bigger than he initially planned.

“My wish was to make an action film. Rom-com is also one of my favourite genres. But then I thought, ‘Let me write something with a smaller budget. That can be my first film.’ But I have ended up getting a pretty big budget for this film,” he tells us.

Karthikeyan had written several stories before arriving at Maddy. The project took shape after he narrated the story to Kalai.

“I didn’t know that he was the producer at that point. After I finished my narration, he called me one night and said, ‘I am producing this.’ I was really happy,” he recalls.

Recreating the cricket backdrop, especially the IPL final in the climax, was one of the biggest challenges. After failing to secure permission to shoot at a cricket stadium, the team explored locations including Chepauk, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad before deciding to construct a set.

“We wanted to show the final on that scale because it is also the climax of the movie. Finally, we worked on this structure, got it approved and worked on it extensively. Now it has almost come together,” says Karthikeyan.

Kalai says his love for cricket drew him to the script. “We all watch the IPL, so this is a love story keeping the mindset of today’s youngsters. The love story has a small connection with cricket, something that all of us would relate to,” he says.

The pre-production took four to five months, with the cricket portions requiring extensive planning.

“That was a major challenge because of the IPL cricket season. We had to deal with permissions from the relevant authorities and work around the IPL experience. Since we were producing a commercial film, we had to figure out how to shoot the cricket sequences and make everything look real,” says Kalai.

Despite the scale, Kalai says the team did not compromise on crucial portions. “I always believe that we should spend money on what we are going to show on screen. For the climax in particular, we needed to spend a lot. I believe in this content, I believe in the director, and I believe in the way we work as a team,” he says.

Karthikeyan credits Kalai for giving him freedom. “He never questioned me about anything. Since I have known him for a long time, even if he has to fight with me, he does it with that sense of ownership,” he says.

The film also involves extensive CG and VFX, particularly for the stadium portions. “There is a lot of CG required for this film, especially because we are trying to present the stadium on a very large scale. The final is supposed to happen in Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. So the CG and VFX work will take some time,” says Kalai.

For Rio, who plays Sachin, Maddy is a light-hearted romantic story. “The boy is introverted only when it comes to girls, whereas the girl is very extroverted. She explores and experiences a lot of things in life. The love that develops between these two people is what Maddy is about,” he says.

Rio heard the story in 2024 and immediately wanted to be part of it. “I really liked it when the director narrated the story to me. I immediately said, ‘Let’s do this.’ We discussed the time we had and whether we could execute it the way we wanted to. We felt it was a good project,” he says.

His character’s name, Sachin, has a personal cricket connection. “My father is a huge cricket fan and a big Sachin fan. When he had a son, he wanted to name him Sachin. Luckily, the heroine’s name is Anjali, so there’s a connection there,” Rio explains.

Saniya plays Anjali, an extroverted and adventurous influencer. “As a person, I would say I’m quite similar to my character, Anjali. But I’ve never really had an opportunity to play a character like this before,” she says.

The role also gives her a chance to move away from the serious and emotional characters she has mostly played in Tamil. “Wherever I go, and whenever I travel, the first thing people ask me about is Kalyani,” she says, referring to the popularity of her earlier character.

“Anjali is an influencer, and I feel I can really connect with her as a person in real life. As an actor, you always want to do those typical heroine moments, coming in slow motion and having that larger-than-life heroine introduction,” she adds.

While Saniya has some familiarity with cricket, Rio admits that the sport was a challenge. “I know absolutely nothing about cricket,” he says with a laugh. “In this film, cricket is a major part of the backdrop, and there are a lot of things happening around cricket throughout the film. Obviously, the climax takes place around the IPL.”

Rio is also excited about reuniting with Kalai, with whom he previously worked on Nenjam Undu Nermai Undu Odu Raja, and sharing screen space with longtime friend Mirchi Vijay. “The two of us have been trying to work together for almost ten years. Finally, we’ve got the opportunity to do a film together. So, I’m very happy about that,” he says.

He is equally enthusiastic about Dhibu Ninan Thomas’ music. “Dhibu has already given us three or four songs, and they’re really good. I think this film’s album is going to be one of the best albums of my career,” he says.

Kalai believes Maddy will connect with audiences across generations.

“The film has something for all types of audiences. There is a beautiful father-son emotional element that everyone can connect with, along with moments for youngsters and a ’90s-kid connection. So there is something for everyone,” he says. With the shoot complete, the team is currently working on the CG and VFX.

The release date is yet to be announced.