'Vijay Sethupathi's superstardom will help the film'

After working with Vijay Sethupathi in Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom and Rummy, Gayathrie will be seen pairing up with the actor again in this Friday's release, Puriyatha Puthir, by debutant director Ranjit Jeyakodi. She says, "The film's a love story between a music teacher and an aspiring music director." There's more to the film than meets the eye, she adds.

Though the story doesn't dwell much about the musical background of the main characters, Gayathrie still attended music classes to get the nuances of playing the violin right. "Ranjit said it's not the 80's anymore' and we can't cheat the audiences like we once used to," she says. "So I had to learn how to play the violin to make it look realistic." 

This long-pending film was originally titled Mellisai but was later changed as the makers felt the title conveyed only the musical part of the film. "Though it's a romantic film, there's an underlying story that is revealed at the end. Hence the title, Puriyatha Puthir," she says.

The delay in release has certainly caused much displeasure to the actress but she would rather focus on the positives. "It's not easy for an artiste to get invested in a project and not reap the fruits of the labour. It's the hard work of each person associated with this film. But I believe everything happens for the best. Sethupathi today is a superstar and this will help the movie get more audiences. So, it may just be beneficial," she says.

As someone who has known Vijay Sethupathi for a long time, Gayathrie can see how he has evolved as an actor over the years. "I think this is quite evident on screen. For an actor who is doing six films a year, it's amazing how he remembers scenes from his previous films and is often able to recite the dialogues,"'she says. "This shows the level of work he puts in, and I truly believe that he is dedicated to cinema completely." 

She thinks her role is as strong as the hero's in the film. "It doesn't happen in Tamil films too often. It's not just about the screen time but also about about how much my character is allowed to do," she says. "It was also a refreshing experience as the director isn't someone who spoonfeeds his actors. He and the cameraman worked with an understanding that they will let the actors play out each scene as we saw fit." She says that they would explain each scene and leave the actors to figure out how to play it. "There was a lot of space for healthy discussions and improvisations." She assures that Puriyatha Puthir has rewatch value. "It will feel like an entirely different film when you watch it again. Even the music will sound different. There's a bit of deception in the film and the audience will know it only when it's revealed at the end."