Location Diaries: Pep talk and a performance

Being directed by Samuthrakani was a unique experience for Athulya Ravi, who stars alongside Sasikumar and Anjali in the upcoming film, Nadodigal 2. “I already know him as he was my co-star in Yemali,” she says. “But being directed by him was a new experience. Usually, we get an idea of the day’s shoot in advance, along with the dialogues. But Samuthirakani sir does things differently.” Before each shot, the director apparently talks to the actors about the scene and explains it in a way to let the film’s universe inhabit the actors’ psyche. “Once the camera began rolling, we would execute the scene so naturally—almost like we had turned into those characters. You will see that the scenes have a raw quality about them. His style of tapping into our emotions was quite new for me,” she says.

The first scene she shot was the interval block. “I was quite anxious. I didn’t know the story and had undergone no preparation either. However, once he started explaining the scene, I connected to the emotions instantly. I said we could go for the shot, and couldn’t believe my eyes when he said okay to the first take,” she recalls.

Once though, she got a bit too carried away with her performance and almost jeopardised her safety. “We were shooting near a main road, and I was asked to fall down by the roadside,” she says. “I fell so hard that my head hit the tarmac. Everyone rushed to me. They had assumed I would know how to fall without hurting myself, but I guess I got too involved. Thankfully, the injury was not serious.”