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Sri Rajarajeswari |
When lavishly budgeted films with top stars are becoming flops, some film-makers have wisely turned to producing films within a restricted budget, and with not so busy or popular stars. These films may not be widely talked about, nor do they create any ripples at the box office. But they manage to break even and reach the targeted audience, albeit a small one.
Producer
Pushpa Kandasamy, daughter of producer-director K. Balachander has in recent
times produced quite a few small budgeted films, some of them socio-mythologies.
Films that have managed to break even, and brought out-of-work artistes like
Ramki back into the reckoning. Pushpa Kandasamy's banner 'Aathi Bhagawan Films'
has yet another socio-mythology on the floors. Titled 'Sri Rajarajeswari', it
has Ramya Krishnan and Ramki playing the lead. Bhanupriya plays a crucial role
while Sanghavi, Janavi, Vadivelu, Nizhalgal Ravi, Vinu Chakravarty, Thyagu,
Delhi Ganesh, Chandrasekhar and Ponambalam form the supporting cast.
Directing the film is Bharati Kannan who has also written the script. A stint of shooting took place at Kuttralam and at Injimedu Sivalayam near Thenkasi where some scenes were picturised on Ramki and Ramya Krishnan. Raja and Rajeswari live at the Nagamalai estate and are lovers. One day as the duo takes a stroll in the forest nearby, Raja suddenly asks Rajeswari to express a desire. "I will fulfill it for you," says he. Rajeswari promptly asks him to get her the 'Nagalinga' flower. Raja searches for the flower all over the place and finally finds one lying in a muddy streamlet. He gets into the muddy slush to fetch it and suddenly finds himself caught in quicksand. As he goes in deeper and deeper, a panic-stricken Rajeswari tries to save him. Finally she flings a part of her sari to him and Raja climbs back to safety. The lovers hug in joy and relief. The scene was directed by Bharati Kannan and playing the lovers were Ramki and Ramya Krishnan. Cranking the camera was Rajarajan.
Yet another scene was picturised on the lead pair. The parents of the duo come to know of their love and get them married. When Rajeswari enters the bedroom on her wedding night, she finds to her surprise that Raja is nowhere around. She expresses her yearning for him in a song, composed by Deva. There is yet another song written by Lyricist Kalidas which had the names of 165 Goddesses. This devotional song is picturised at 108 'Amman' temples of Tamil Nadu, with Nalini featuring in the climax scene. Nalini plays a fortuneteller, who resides around the temple area, and her predictions are taken seriously by the villagers as they seem to come true.