Army films is one of the rarest genres to be explored in Tamil cinema. In fact, there are only a handful of films that properly dabbled in the genre, and that’s probably why there is intense pressure on director Rajkumar Periasamy to get it right with his upcoming film, Amaran. The film is set to tell the story of one of India’s bravest warriors, Major Mukund Varadarajan, who was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra for his bravery in an operation in South Kashmir. With Sivakarthikeyan playing the role of Major Mukund, and Sai Pallavi essaying the character of Major’s wife Indu Rebecca Varghese, Amaran is backed by actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International. In a special show to kickstart the promotion drive for the film, Kamal Haasan, Sivakarthikeyan, Sai Pallavi, and Rajkumar Periasamy were joined by the late Major Mukund’s wife, Indu.
ALSO READ: Amaran: Sai Pallavi is Indhu Rebecca Varghese in Sivakarthikeyan-starrer. Watch teaser
The makers shared the video, which has been titled Amaran – An Introduction Part 1, which starts off with a heartwarming AV about the life of Major Mukund. Then, Kamal Haasan, who recently celebrated 65 years as an actor in Indian cinema, was asked what made him back Amaran, and if it joins the list of his conscientious films about lives in uniform like Kadamai Kanniyam Kattupaadu and Kuruthipunal. “They were all fiction. This is the truth. This is the truth that happened for us. We can’t really question why the story takes certain directions. If you can handle the truth, handle it,” said an emphatic Kamal Haasan, who drove home the importance of a supportive family that rallies behind our soldiers. “We might have given Major Mukund a medal, respected him posthumously, but we mustn’t forget that the first person to have heard the way the story ended was Indu. His unparalleled bravery was matched by the courage of the people at home. Amaran is about that courage too. I didn’t choose this story. We have no part, except to have fulfilled our duty of telling this story.”
Here’s the video:
Amaran marks director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore film, seven years after making a rather compelling debut with Gautham Karthik’s Rangoon. Talking about how an interaction with Indu shaped Amaran into its present form, Rajkumar said, “I knew the start, the ending, and even the journey in between. However, I wasn’t sure how to piece this puzzle. The day I met her, I found the film.” The filmmaker also asserted how Amaran is more than just a war film or a documentation of a soldier’s journey. “This is primarily a love story. A love between a wife and a husband. A love between a brave man and his passion. It is about the greater selfless love, and Amaran started with Indu.”
Finally, Sivakarthikeyan, who was recently heralded by the next in line to the throne of Tamil cinema thanks to Vijay’s symbolic handing over of the gun to him in Venkat Prabhu’s GOAT, was asked about the weight of the weapon in his hands. “The gun is always heavy, and we must handle it right,” said Sivakarthikeyan, who smartly diverted the question to Amaran. “We have taken the care to ensure the entire team handled it right, and the courage for the same was given by our very own Ulaganayagan (Kamal Haasan).”
Mirroring Kamal Haasan’s statement that he didn’t choose the story, Sivakarthikeyan said, “Major Mukund Varadarajan is a superhero. I see this as an opportunity to bring to screen his real story, and the life he lived.” He also pressed upon the increased sense of sincerity that seeped in him while acting in Amaran. “We have a responsibility to do right by the lives of Major Mukund and Indu ma’am. We were more than sincere.”
ALSO READ: Amaran, Bloody Beggar and Brother on track to clash at the box office this Diwali
With music by GV Prakash Kumar, Amaran is set to hit the screens this Diwali on October 31, and clash at the box-office with Jayam Ravi’s Brother and Kavin’s Bloody Beggar.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
