Chennai:
Actress Rupa Manjari who debuted inKollywood as heroine in the romantic comedy T4, is nowmaking her bow in the Malayalam film industry in reputedactor-director Lals Tournament playing the role of a'bindaas' wildlife photographer.
There are two characters who are "very important" in themovie -veteran film-maker Fazil's son Shanu (Fahad Fazil) andManish, a newcomer, who is paired opposite her.
"There is also John, a dancer, who has appeared in a fewmovies.. The other boys are all newcomers."
"I am a wildlife photographer in the movie and I meetthese six guys who have been selected for an IPL crickettournament and become their friend and fall in love with oneof them," Bangalore-based Rupa told PTI.
The shooting is going at a fast pace and work would mostprobably be over by November 10. The plan is to get itreleased on December 25.
The unit started shooting on October 2 and it has beennon-stop shooting for the past 30 days, she said.
They have shot mainly in Kochi.
"Right now we are shooting at Gundalpet near Mysore." Rupa was the female lead opposite serious actor Ajmal inthe much acclaimed J S Nandhini directed Tamil movie ThiruThiru Thuru Thuru (T4) released last year.
Rupa said in T4, a romantic comedy,the story was different."I was a perfectionist, particular about things the way itshould be. Here I am a wildlife photographer, carefree aboutlife.. a daring photographer..more of a bindaas type.
"There are twists and turns. It has comedy, love, actionthere is everything. It is a fun-filled subject basically, ayouth movie."
The characters are well-etched out.
"I am really fortunate and lucky, you know... that for afirst movie in Malayalam, I got a very big project. Everybodyknows Lal sir that he is an amazing actor and a director aswell. He has written the script and is also the producer. Venuis doing the cinematography.He is one of the bestcinematographers we have (in the country)."
There is also popular comedian Salim Kumar and veteranactor Siddiq in the movie.
Rupa is a Tamilian born and brought up in Bangalore. Sheknows Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi.
"Yes! I am learning Malayalam now."
For the movie, her lines are being written in English andthen she delivers the dialogues.
"There is one person Ambika who helps me with thedialogues. She writes it for me in English and she helps mewith my diction".
Lal's production team members were on the lookout for afemale lead and had looked at a lot of people.
"They checked my clippings, trailers and shots of T4 andcalled me. That is how it happened," she said.
"It has been a really, really nice experience. People havetreated me so well that I feel home. They did not make me feelout of place.I dont know Malayalam that well, but I gelledwell with people."
Rupa, a graduate in mass communication, always wanted tobe an actor.
"Being an actor was a dream, a passion right fromchildhood...I wrapped up my graduation for acting. My parentswere dead against it initially, but I convinced them..."
Her Tamil movie Naan, a musical thriller, in which upand coming Tamil music composer Vijay Antony plays the lead,is slated for release in January next, "probably duringPongal" (harvest festival of Tamil Nadu).
The movie is directed by Shankar, a former assistant of thelate cameraman-turned-director Jeeva.
She has a couple of other Tamil projects which are ata 'discussion' stage.
There are two characters who are "very important" in themovie -veteran film-maker Fazil's son Shanu (Fahad Fazil) andManish, a newcomer, who is paired opposite her.
"There is also John, a dancer, who has appeared in a fewmovies.. The other boys are all newcomers."
"I am a wildlife photographer in the movie and I meetthese six guys who have been selected for an IPL crickettournament and become their friend and fall in love with oneof them," Bangalore-based Rupa told PTI.
The shooting is going at a fast pace and work would mostprobably be over by November 10. The plan is to get itreleased on December 25.
The unit started shooting on October 2 and it has beennon-stop shooting for the past 30 days, she said.
They have shot mainly in Kochi.
"Right now we are shooting at Gundalpet near Mysore." Rupa was the female lead opposite serious actor Ajmal inthe much acclaimed J S Nandhini directed Tamil movie ThiruThiru Thuru Thuru (T4) released last year.
Rupa said in T4, a romantic comedy,the story was different."I was a perfectionist, particular about things the way itshould be. Here I am a wildlife photographer, carefree aboutlife.. a daring photographer..more of a bindaas type.
"There are twists and turns. It has comedy, love, actionthere is everything. It is a fun-filled subject basically, ayouth movie."
The characters are well-etched out.
"I am really fortunate and lucky, you know... that for afirst movie in Malayalam, I got a very big project. Everybodyknows Lal sir that he is an amazing actor and a director aswell. He has written the script and is also the producer. Venuis doing the cinematography.He is one of the bestcinematographers we have (in the country)."
There is also popular comedian Salim Kumar and veteranactor Siddiq in the movie.
Rupa is a Tamilian born and brought up in Bangalore. Sheknows Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi.
"Yes! I am learning Malayalam now."
For the movie, her lines are being written in English andthen she delivers the dialogues.
"There is one person Ambika who helps me with thedialogues. She writes it for me in English and she helps mewith my diction".
Lal's production team members were on the lookout for afemale lead and had looked at a lot of people.
"They checked my clippings, trailers and shots of T4 andcalled me. That is how it happened," she said.
"It has been a really, really nice experience. People havetreated me so well that I feel home. They did not make me feelout of place.I dont know Malayalam that well, but I gelledwell with people."
Rupa, a graduate in mass communication, always wanted tobe an actor.
"Being an actor was a dream, a passion right fromchildhood...I wrapped up my graduation for acting. My parentswere dead against it initially, but I convinced them..."
Her Tamil movie Naan, a musical thriller, in which upand coming Tamil music composer Vijay Antony plays the lead,is slated for release in January next, "probably duringPongal" (harvest festival of Tamil Nadu).
The movie is directed by Shankar, a former assistant of thelate cameraman-turned-director Jeeva.
She has a couple of other Tamil projects which are ata 'discussion' stage.
