No Filter: Actor Narain hopes to make 'Kaithi' a milestone in his career

For many, this might be Bigil vs Kaithi or Vijay vs Karthi, but for actor Narain, it’s a hope to make a milestone in his career.

The last time he wore a cop uniform in Anjathe, the film left a memorable mark on audiences and changed his career for good. Serendipitously, director Lokesh Kanagaraj when he wrote Kaithi, had envisioned the cop to be played by Narain, who had impressed him with his performance in Anjathe in 2008.

Narain tells me that he has been friends with Karthi for over ten years. Both are cinephiles, who enjoy debating and discussing great cinema for hours on end, as well as on other things in life. They share similar interests and yearn to be a part of great scripts — commercially viable, yet sensible cinema. So, when Karthi called him up sometime last year, saying he came across a script, that was just what they were looking for. Karthi had reportedly said that the director had mentioned his name for a vital role in the film and the actor offered to call his friend. Narain tells me that after that phone call, he had an inkling that he would be a part of this film, as he trusted Karthi’s judgement. Shortly after Lokesh narrated the script to Narain, he had said yes. They had a blast shooting for the film as it was friends working together and cinema lovers collaborating — so it was certain to be an unforgettable experience.

Finally, we have a mainstream film that doesn’t have any songs and dance numbers. The movie doesn’t have a female lead either. The whole film is a series of events that unfold in the course of one night. Satyan, the cinematographer, has made the visuals quite compelling as seen from the film’s trailer. You can tell how much this film means to Narain from a conversation we had during a dinner party recently — the movie was all he and his wife could talk about. He was singing praises for the film’s crew and it couldn’t get any sweeter. He not only has his fingers, but also toes crossed! If the director’s last film Maanagaram is anything to go by, this will be a film that will have you on the edge of the seat the whole time. If Kaithi is a hit, as all the signs indicate, the film is sure to have a lasting impact on Tamil cinema as other directors and producers too may reconsider the song and dance formula. Here’s wishing Narain and the whole Kaithi team the very best for this Deepavali.

Aishvarrya Suresh, a model-turned-singer, recently underwent a surgery that had her out of commission for a while. A few days ago, she marked her return to the stage and brought the house down. Speaking of her vocal comeback, in case you weren’t following her updates on the ‘gram, you wouldn’t even know that she had to be on vocal rest following her surgery. After weeks of recovery, she even went live on Instagram recently, which is very popular amongst her fans. Her short time at the hospital had many visiting her, wishing her a speedy recovery. Her comeback performance had the audience cheering her on, with shouts for an encore, it is safe to say that her performance was a smashing success. Her ever-doting mother and number one fan, CSS Latha, was also seen cheering, and it was very endearing to watch. Wish her good health and many more robust performances.