‘A fantasy thriller with a simple narration’

“Jiivi is a fantasy thriller, which was written almost four years ago. The script was written by one of my friends and we wanted to make this into a film. Despite travelling with it for four years, the script still stays relevant and didn’t have the need to be tweaked to cater to current sensibilities. Though it is a fantasy film, the narration isn’t complicated,” says Gopinath. Vetri’s debut film 8 Thottakkal was a cult classic that the audience embraced over due course of time after its release. 

“I heard several scripts after 8 Thottakkal’s release. They somehow didn’t convince me as I found the characters subtle just like my debut film. Jiivi impressed me as I play the role of an aggressive man. The character sketch intrigued me, and I readily agreed. It was indeed worth a wait,” says Vetri. Divulging more about his role, Vetri adds, “I play the character of a Class 8 dropout but who is street-smart. Karunakaran plays my friend in the film. He apparently will be the voice of the audience for the film. He asks me the questions that the audience would want to as the suspense keeps unfolding and also provides them with an answer.”

Mime Gopi, a leading theatre artist and one of the most-respected tinseltown artistes, in the trailer, sports a clean-shaven look in the film. Ask if he plays a cop in the film, the director is quick to respond, “No. He looks like a cop, but he plays a pillar of his sister’s family in the film. We worked on his look to make his character intriguing.” Mime Gopi agrees with him and says, “The characters that we play in our films are in one way or the other connected to our real-life persona and I strongly believe in it. So, in front of the camera, our performances are spontaneous reactions to how we react to situations in real-life. Jiivi’s script has only elevated that when it comes to our performances. The director wanted me to gain weight for the film and I am finding it difficult to lose a few kilos now.”

Monica plays a recharge shop girl while Ashwini plays a visually impaired person. “Heroines hardly come across such roles. It was in Cuckoo we last saw a heroine playing a visually impaired character. There is a school for the blind right next to my house and I visited it for a couple of days to get the mannerisms right. My character is very subtle and being a classical dancer, I quickly adapted to the body language that the director wanted from me,” says Ashwini. Monica joins her and says, “I will be seen in love portions in the film, which are not stereotypical. The story starts unfolding from our romance and from there it moves forward.” As we end the chat we see Mime Gopi graciously pose for selfies before they leave the premises.