'Eeram' will succeed at BO: Arivazhagan

Ecstasy. That���s precisely the state director Arivazhagan is in.
And he has reason to be. After all, not everybody comes across a situation in life where one���s favourite director agrees to produce one���s first film.
Says Arivazhagan, whose film Eeram is being produced by ace director Shankar, ���Several people think that he���s given me this opportunity to direct a film because I���ve worked as an assistant to him in Boys and Anniyan.But what many don���t know is that I had to meet him and present to him details about this project like how I would have had to with any other producer.���
He continues, ���There is this general perception in the industry that if you can narrate a good story, you are a good director. However, that���s not true and that���s one reason why many films fail at the box office. Direction is one department while story, screenplay and dialogues are another. Director Shankar is a thorough professional and knows that direction is no ordinary task. So, after listening to my story, which he liked immensely, he decided to test my directorial skills by asking me to shoot just two scenes for this movie for a start.���
So, what were the two scenes that he shot? Says the film institute graduate, who hails from Coimbatore, ���My film can be classified as a soft love thriller. It has all the components of a suspense thriller and a love story as well. Therefore, I shot a love scene to portray the emotion factor and an investigation scene to project the pace of the film.���
And what was his guru���s reaction to the shots? Says Arivazhagan with a smile, ���He liked them and gave the go ahead for the project. What delighted me were his words after watching the shots. He said ���You���ve paid attention to even minute details. That is going to take you places.������
Giving details of the cast of his film, he says, ���Aadhi plays an assistant commissioner of police in my film while Nanda plays an automobile engineer. Sindhu Menon and Sharanya Mohan also play important parts in the film.���
���I decided to go with relatively new faces for this is my first film. I chose Aadhi because of his physique. I had seen him in Mirugam and was impressed. I chose Nandha, who played the friend of Suriya in Mounam Pesiyade, to play the role of an automobile engineer because he is capable of playing subtle characters and I was particular that the person playing this role be one who hasn���t fallen for the image trap.���
On his choice of heroines, he says, ���Sindhu Menon fit the role of the housewife in my film perfectly. I generally select my artistes based on their eyes. I wanted an artiste whom everybody would like. Sharanya Mohan fit the bill and hence, I���ve given her the part,��� he explains and adds, ���Manoj Paramahamsa, who is now working on Gautham Menon���s Vinnaithandi Varuvaya, has handled the camera while music is by Sai Thaman, who played one of the five boys in the film Boys.���
The director, who has won a gold medal for the Best Short film during his final year at the film institute, signs off with a promise.
���My film is an effort to take Tamil cinema to the next level. At the same time, it will succeed at the box office too,��� he says with confidence.