
Actor Ananth Ram, who rose to fame playing Hiphop Adhi's brother in the 2017 film Meesaya Murukku, will now be making his directorial debut with Nanban Oruvan Vantha Piragu (NOVP). Interestingly, he will also be playing the lead role in the film. Summarising his rationale for taking on responsibilities beyond acting, Ananth cites a line from Ajith Kumar's Billa 2, "Aasa illa annachi, pasi ( It's not desire; it's hunger)". Expounding the emotion that he shares with the particular dialogue, Ananth says, "I come from the streets. I entered the industry without any backing. I want to establish myself as a performer and creator beyond language and regional boundaries. If opportunities are scarce, I will pave my own path and that's how NOVP happened."
Presented by filmmaker Venkat Prabhu, NOVP is produced by Masala Popcorn Production House, in association with White Feather Studios. On how he got the idea for the film, the director says, "This story happened to me. It is based on my friend's life." He then goes on to talk about the films that inspired NOVP. "Every decade has films centered around friendship, such as Chennai 600028 or Endrendrum Punnagai. This film would be in a similar zone and would also explore one's life journey, much like a coming-of-age film. In each stage of the protagonist's life, one thing will always be constant: AR Rahman's music. As the title itself emphasises, the film will be a tribute to Rahman sir." He then goes on to add,"After I developed the story, I met Aishwarya, the producer from Masala Popcorn Production House, and she was thrilled when I narrated the script. She suggested that I should share the story with Venkat Prabhu, who also became excited and expressed interest in presenting the film."
As NOVP is inspired by his own life, was the casting process easy? "The characters in the film are based on real people from my friend circle. I primarily looked for similarities between my friends and the actors to find the perfect cast. While I am playing my friend on the screen, RJ Vijay is playing me," quips Ananth. He also reveals that casting and writing were a tad easier while directing is a taxing job. And he thanks the technical team for their relentless support in making things fall in the right place.
With the film gearing up for release on August 2, Ananth shares, "I come from a normal background. If I can make it in the industry, it hopefully goes on to inspire many others to do the same. The film underlines the philosophy of taking risks in life." Reiterating how Nanban Oruvan Vantha Piragu will celebrate friendship, Ananth signs off by saying, "I believe this film will influence a lot of creators to look back to our roots, to celebrate simple things in life. If there is a shortage of films that celebrate such themes, I am sure, after my film, there will be many."