When Gautham Karthik went missing for two days

There were smiles all around as Gautham Karthik and Manjima Mohan cheerfully entered our office. As Devarattam, helmed by Muthaiah is all set to hit the screens on Wednesday, Gautham Karthik begins by saying, “I have done rural films before but ensured that I don’t sport the same look or have the same body language, which the audience has already witnessed. Also, I didn’t want to touch upon subjects that would hurt sentiments in some quarters, even if it is unintentional.”

Tamil films that cater to the B and C audience, in general, are known to be overly sentimentalDevarattam according to Gautham will have sentiments in right doses. “I play a guy named Vetri, who is raised by his sisters and is intolerant of prejudices, which makes him hostile. His actions affect his family and that is where the sentimental connect with the story begins,” he tells us.

Manjima agrees with Gautham and says, “Our characters connect at the same point. I play a girl who questions biased actions. That is how Vetri and I meet. Though I won’t be seen throughout the film, my character contributes to the storyline till the end.”

This is Manjima’s first film in two years after Ippadai Vellum with Udhayanidhi Stalin. “I signed the film initially because it has been a while since I had a big screen release. 

Only after I committed to it, I realised that I was a part of a film that will strike a chord with the mass audience,” says the actress. But shooting for the film initially wasn’t a cakewalk for her. She looks at Gautham before she says, “I can manage good Tamil. 

However, things were different on the sets of Devarattam. Gautham initially didn’t talk much to me. Once he opened up, he was a different person. He was my go-to-guy as I couldn’t understand what Muthaiah said to me on the sets.” 

Gautham agrees with her and adds, “His (Muthaiah) Madurai accent is too sharp and when Soori joins him, we feel like we are alienated and find it difficult to catch up with their Tamil.”

The film was physically taxing for Gautham, as he had to shoot for stunt sequences for five days on the trot. “I was allowed to rest for two days and went into a hibernation. I slept for 48 hours straight and woke up on the third day,” he smiles.

An amused Manjima looks at us and says, “Who sleeps for two days, Gautham? I was staying at the same hotel next door. I knocked on his door but he didn’t respond. There was no response on his mobile when I called him. There was absolutely no trace of him. 

At a point, I even thought he had committed suicide! On the third day, I was getting ready to reach the sets and he appears in front of us to say a ‘hi’.”

Gautham explains, “I emptied buckets of ice into my bath tub and soaked myself in for 20 minutes till I went numb. I immediately hit the bed and had a deep sleep.

That’s the secret.” The team before leaving the premises, posed for our lensman and clicked selfies with their fans.