Actor Atharvaa is currently awaiting the release of Idhayam Murali, directed by producer-turned-director Aakash Baskaran. For the unversed, the coming-of-age romantic drama's title is a tribute to his father and late actor Murali's 1991 film Idhayam. While the film holds immense significance to Atharvaa, he intentionally stayed away from revisiting his father's last film Baana Kaathadi (2010) in which he played the lead in his debut role.
In an exclusive interview with Cinema Express, Atharvaa said, "It became hard for me to watch those scenes after a while. While I don’t search for them, I just watch some snippets of those scenes," adding how he cherishes those memories from that time.
"I still remember every moment from the filming of those scenes, including how he worked for them. But watching them visually is still hard," he shared.
In the same conversation, he recalled watching his father's Idhayam for the first time. Atharvaa said that he did not watch the film when it released back in 1991 because of his age at the time. "I was too young when it released; even if I watched it back then, I would not have understood it," the actor said. He added that he watched Idhayam for the first time when he completed his 12th standard examination. "That is when I watched it properly, although I had heard its songs before as well. I think it is one of my favourite films," he said.
For the unversed, Baana Kaathadi marked Murali's final film appearance before his demise that year. He played a cameo role in the movie which starred Samantha as the female lead.
Slated to release in theatres on July 10, Idhayam Murali tells a story of one-sided love. The latest trailer for it hints at a storyline where Atharvaa's character, Idhaya, goes in search of her lover, played by Preity Mukhundhan, in a foreign land after facing rejection from her when at school. The film also stars Natty, composer Thaman S himself, Niharika NM, Sudhakar of Parithabangal fame, Yashashree Rao, singer Jonita Gandhi, and Anju Kurian, among others.
