Chethan Cheenu is in an upbeat mood ahead of the release of Valluvan. For the actor, who has spent much of his career working in Telugu cinema (Pelliki Mundu Prema Katha, Vidyarthi, and Raju Gari Gadhi to name a few) the film marks a welcome return to Tamil. “It’s been a while since I had a Tamil release,” he says.
Directed by debutant Shankar Sarathi, Valluvan has generated interest for more than one reason. “Members of filmmaker Vetri Maaran’s team, known for acclaimed works such as Visaaranai and Paava Kadhaigal, have worked on the project, lending it a gritty, hard-hitting feel. The film is inspired by a Thirukkural, and explores the disturbing issue of child abuse while also examining how power and privilege can influence the pursuit of justice.”
Chethan recalls being immediately drawn to the project when Shankar Sarathi narrated the script to him in Hyderabad. “He spent nearly two hours narrating the story, and I knew straight away that it was something special,” he says. “I told him that this film had the potential to change my career. His name is Shankar; my favourite director is Shankar, and I had a feeling this project could have the same impact on me that Gentleman had on Arjun sir.”
And in a twist that felt almost cosmic, Chethan received a call from the team behind Gentleman offering him the lead role in its sequel. “When you really want something, the universe has a way of making it happen.” The sequel, which marks producer KT Kunjumon’s comeback, began production over a year ago but was paused due to the elections. “Shooting is expected to resume soon. It’s being mounted on a huge scale. Kunjumon sir wants the film to resonate with younger audiences, so he’s in no rush to wrap it up.”
For Valluvan, Chethan says he pushed himself to the limit, performing some physically punishing scenes. One sequence, set inside a police station, reminded him of the brutal interrogation scenes in Visaaranai. “There’s a scene where the police force my character into a large water barrel, fill it with smoke and close it shut. I’m 5ft 10in, so fitting inside the barrel was difficult enough. Once the smoke was added, it became extremely uncomfortable. The shot looked fantastic on screen, but I ended up throwing up afterwards.”
Another stunt proved even more dangerous. “I had to jump from the sixth floor and land on a water tanker,” he says. “I didn’t want to use a body double. Unfortunately, I missed my landing by a tiny margin and fractured my hand.”
Chethan will next headline filmmaker Kaveri Kalyani’s Tamil-Telugu bilingual psychological love thriller with horror elements. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Suhasini Mani Ratnam and Pugazh. He is also working on a series titled Actor, in which he portrays 12 different characters inspired by 12 freedom fighters, including Sangolli Rayanna and Velu Nachiyar.
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