Peechankai: Travails of a thief 

Director Ashok, whose film is all set for release, always knew he wanted to make a movie about an exotic medical condition
Peechankai: Travails of a thief 

An old Tamil adage has it that one hand must not know what is being donated by the other. Perhaps director Ashok was influenced by this, as a lead character’s left-hand gains utmost importance in his upcoming film, Peechaankai. The script is about a protagonist who loses control over his left hand, which suddenly seems to have a volition of its own. The condition is popularly referred to as alien hand syndrome.

The film, set to release this week, is already generating good buzz on social media. The protagonist is a habitual offender who struggles to deal with his newly acquired condition.

Ashok admits that at the outset, he had made up his mind to make a film about a medical condition. “It took some time to figure out what it needed to be. It also had to be a condition that is found worldwide,” he says. “I’ve come up with a story that hasn’t plenty of comedy, sentiment, and action.”

The director believes that the newcomers have done full justice to their roles, and were willing to go the extra mile for the film. “The emphasis at all times is on comedy. It’s a film for the family audiences,” he says.

Talking more about the protagonist, Ashok says that the character is that of a small-time crook who’s happy making ends meet until a fateful day when he gets afflicted. “The condition makes him realise the importance of life, and regret that he did not make the best use of what God gave him,” the director says. “There’s a Tamil saying which talks about how people don’t realise the value of a thing till they lose it. That’s sort of the message in this film.”

Ashok, who had a fruitful stint in a top television channel as the director of the show, Nalaiya Iyakkunar, expresses gratitude to “friends who came forward to pitch in with contributions for the film. At least for their sake, I hope to have made a meaningful film.”

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