Location Diaries: When work is play - Srikanth for Coffee with Kadhal

Actor Srikanth, who is part of Sundar C's upcoming romcom, Coffee with Kadhal, fondly remembers the shooting as an enjoyable and memorable experience. 
 
The film, which has a huge star cast, including names like Jiiva, Jai, Divyadharshini, Amritha, and Raiza Wilson, was shot in the picturesque locations of Ooty and Coonoor. "The setting of Ooty and Coonoor was special and almost like a character in the film. The greenery and the temperature made us feel and look fresh always. Cinematographer Kicha captured the pastel shades beautifully in this colourful movie," says Srikanth. The actor also shares that the memories of the shoot became even more special because of the time he spent with the late actor Prathap Pothen. "We were shooting a bonfire scene, and even when filming it I got reminded of Prathap sir's 'En Iniya Pon Nilave' song. Here, I was the one playing the guitar, and he was watching me this time. Thinking of it now makes me all the more nostalgic."

There was no dearth of fun with such a big cast shooting day in and day out. "Every single day was like a picnic. We never knew when the shoot started or ended. After the shoot, we all used to chill in the evenings and have Ilayaraja musical nights. One of the days, my co-actor and singer Sriram Parthasarthy performed live for us, and he too started the evening by singing Iniya Pon Nilave as a dedication to Pratap sir."

Coffee with Kadhal is the first time Srikanth was part of a Sundar C film. "He is an actor's dream director. He does so much detailing in expressions and takes the best out of an actor. While explaining the scenes, it would be a lot of random chatting and joking, but before we knew it, we'd be in a comfort zone, and the shots will be complete in a single take. He always ensured the actors were comfortable, and even changed the shooting timings if the evenings got too cold in the hill stations. He is more a friend than a director, and his humility makes him a class apart. When the shoot was wrapped, all of us left the sets with a heavy heart," says the Nanban actor.

The film also stars the Doctor duo of Yogi Babu and Redin Kingsley. Talking about the experience working with these comic actors, Srikanth says, "Yogi Babu would improvise on sets, adding his own brand of humour to the scene. During breaks, we had friendly rounds of card games where Kingsley would roll on the floor laughing every time I lost."

With such happy memories associated with Coffee with Kadhal, Srikanth does harbour one major regret.  "Pratap sir had told me that he had several romantic scripts in hand that he couldn't use due to his age. He wanted to give them to me the next time we met. I still miss him and get emotional thinking of the wonderful times we spent together on location."