PremiumPradeep Ranganathan says his next film was a long-time dream
Last Updated: 08.54 AM, Apr 11, 2024
Filmmaker-actor Pradeep Ranganathan announced his next project. However, this time, he will only be donning the cap of an actor; his long-time friend, Ashwath Marimuthu, will wield the megaphone.
Director Ashwath Marimuthu of Oh My Kadavule fame will write and direct the project. The friendship between Ashwath and Pradeep goes way back, as the duo studied in the same college.
In the announcement video, Pradeep recalled the first time he met his college senior, Ashwath. He remembered one day when he was wandering around the campus, he ran into a senior who was shooting a short film. And to his surprise, that senior called Pradeep and asked him to pose for the camera. "The senior (Ashwath) told me that I looked weird in person but looked great on camera. I didn't know what to say. But, we both have been friends since," he noted.
Pradeep Ranganathan's first brush with movies
That may have been the moment that gave Pradeep enough confidence to become a digital creator. Pradeep created online videos for years before he transitioned to making films. He made his directorial debut with Comali. The 2019 movie starred Jayam Ravi in the lead role and became a huge hit at the box office.
Pradeep later made Love Today, a film inspired by a short video he had made during his early days as a digital creator. The film highlighted how our smartphones have become a safe haven for us to engage in all our fantasies that we may not be proud of. But, what happens when other people, even our spouses/girlfriends, get unrestricted access to it?
Love Today was a huge blockbuster. Made on a modest budget, the film grossed nearly Rs 100 crore from its worldwide ticket sales. The success of Love Today made Pradeep a bankable actor-director combination in Tamil cinema.