PremiumAppatha director Priyadarshan: Urvashi is better than the best male comedian in India
Director Priyadarshan and Urvashi teamed up after 28 years for their film Appatha, which is set to release on Jio Cinema
Last Updated: 07.37 PM, Jul 25, 2023
It takes a special kind of bond for a filmmaker and an actor to kick off shoot without missing a beat, even though they are teaming after almost three decades. That’s what Priyadarshan and Urvashi did, when they began working on the Tamil movie Appatha, 28 years after their previous collaboration Midhunam.
Appatha, which is set to release on Jio Cinema on July 29, also marks the veteran actress’ 700th film. But for Priyadarshan, she’s still the actress who had amazed many with her spontaneity at the start of her career and continues to be “a marvel”.
In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, the filmmaker says, “I call her by her nickname Podi even now. Even though we had teamed up after such a long time, it felt like I have been working with for 100 movies. That’s the rapport we share.”
The movie, which centres around an elderly woman and her dog, is a smaller film compared to the ace director’s recent outings such as Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham or even Corona Papers earlier this year.
“I have always enjoyed making small movies,” he says. “This one has a soul and there was something very positive about it. It’s also hilarious because the protagonist here is afraid of dogs and happens to take care of one. How the bond they share builds, form the plot. I am happy that I could also give it an emotional ending.”
It’s not often that the filmmaker, who himself is fast approaching his 100th directorial, sounds so excited about a movie. “It is a comedy and has slapstick elements that would remind the audience of my previous films. At the same time, it has a moving ending. It’s one of the most satisfying films I have made,” he explains.
Prod him more on the emotional element of the story and Priyadarshan, who has also scripted the film, says, “The film communicates that the love from animals is sometimes better than humans. You will feel when you grow old and lonely that unconditional love is the best.”
Appatha means father’s mother in Tamil and the entire village refers to Urvashi’s character by the name. Another reason for the director’s joy is collaborating with the actress. “It’s like working with Mohanlal for me,” he says. “She’s one of the finest artistes I have ever worked with and the best actress in the country today. It’s difficult for actresses to do humour, but Urvashi is better than the best male comedians in India. She has proved this in many films including Michael Madana Kama Rajan in the past and is still continuing to do so.”
The director points out that apart from the comic timing, she also brings her nuances to each of her characters including the one in Appatha. “After watching the final cut, I believe the audience will be bowled over, just like I was, with the kind of rural slang she’s used for this film,” concludes Priyadarshan.