[brraverishhh]

Aaranya Kaandam – Ramayana in the concrete jungle

A press meet of the film Aaranya Kaandam was held today at the Aditya hotel in Chennai. The film is being produced by SPB Charan under his Capital Film Works banner. Aaranya Kaandam first caught the eye a couple of months back with its eye catching stills that were splashed across newspapers. The stills were unique and the first of its kind in a

very long time. The film is being directed by Kumar Raja who had written the story for Pushkar-Gayathri's 2007 hit Oram Po. Aaranya Kaandam will feature Jackie Shroff for the first time in a Tamil film. Ravikrishna, Sampath and Bangalore based model Yasmeen Ponnappa make up the rest of the lead cast.

Speaking at the function, the director said that as indicated by the title, the film has borrowed a share of its plot from a chapter in Ramayana. He also added that Ramayana was such a great epic that any film made would have something to take from it. While the Aaranya Kaandam of the Ramayan was set in the jungle, the film will be set in the concrete jungle of Chennai. The film has been shot extensively in many areas of Chennai city. The director said that not even a single scene is intended to be shot abroad or in scenic locales. The film will have a lot to do with the underworld and gangsters. Jackie Shroff plays a don in the movie and the director said that he had signed the Bollywood actor because of his natural charisma in front of the camera. So, we can expect an out and out action fare.

Jackie Shroff spoke at the function and said that he was glad to get an opportunity to star in Kollywood at last. He had been coming to Chennai for the past 25 years, and only now will he finally act in a Tamil film. It was the director's narration that made him take up the role. He said that it was a privilege to work in an industry that boasted of greats like Ilaiyaraja and A.R. Rahman and that the fact that this film was being produced by S.P. Balasubramaniam's son made it even more special. He added that while shooting for the movie he had noticed the talent in Ravikrishan who combined very well in many scenes with him. He said that a bright future surely awaited the young actor.

40% of the movie has been canned and shooting is progressing as planned. Music for the film is by Yuvan Shankar Raja. K.S. Vinodh Kumar handles the camera.

http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-mov...-20-01-09.html