Anupama Kumar, one of the most dependable performers in Tamil cinema, will soon be seen in the eagerly-awaited Dharala Prabhu, slated to hit screens this Friday (March 13). The Harish Kalyan starrer, a remake of the Hindi hit Vicky Donor, has created a fair deal of buzz among movie buffs and this suggests things are heading in the right direction. Speaking exclusively to DH, Anupama talks about reprising Dolly Ahluwalia's role from the original.
What encouraged you to give the nod to Dharala Prabhu?
I really loved Vicky Donor and felt that the mother's role was a beautiful one. Dolly Ahluwalia won the National award for playing the character so that made the proposal even more attractive. My character in Dharala Prabhu has been written in such a way that it will appeal to the Tamil sensibilities. In fact, the makers of the film have done justice to each and every character.
Dolly Ahluwalia received rave reviews for her performance in Vicky Donor. Did this put extra pressure on you?
There was definitely some added pressure as Dolly is a veteran while I am relatively new. However, I did not watch Vicky Donor again as the setting of Dharala Prabhu is completely different. Moreover, I wanted to do the role in my own way.
Is the Tamil audience ready to accept an issue like sperm donation?
Sperm donation has been around for quite some time. Sperm banks can (indirectly) bring happiness to the lives of so many childless couples yearning for a baby. I think, these days the audience is more aware of such things. Also the makers of Dharala Prabhu have handled the subject in a mature and decent manner and there is no cringeworthy moment in the movie.
What are you upcoming projects?
I have two untitled projects produced by C V Kumar in the pipeline. Apart from that I am playing a North Madaras cop in N4, directed by Lokesh Kumar of My Son is Gay fame. Then there is a horror-comedy titled Pei Mama with Yogi Babu directed by Sakthi Chidambaram. I also have Jigiri Dosthu directed by Vignesh Kumar in the kitty.
What's the status of your production venture Kadhavu?
We are working on the post production of Kadhavu, my production venture with Kishore (of Kabali fame). It received a good response at the Goa Film Bazaar so we are hoping for good things in the future.