Velayudham is Thani Oruvan’s inspiration: Jayam Raja

Ask Raja, about the same, he smiles, saying in a modest tone that he has a long way to go. When asked why he chose to do remakes most of the time, he said, “I am not here only to do remakes and that’s the reason behind Thani Oruvan. Remakes aren’t being seen the way they’re supposed to be seen. So, people who say, ‘Oh, it’s easy to do remakes’, don’t know what all goes into a successful remake of the original. My dad, editor Mohan says, we need to be proud of these remakes because there are many in the industry who copy films without giving due credit to the original, like how we do.”

Talking about Thani Oruvan, Raja says, the script demanded his brother Ravi be cast in it. “I spent a year’s time working on the script, and I am quite sure that it will prove worth my effort. The film will be my second innings in the industry. Ravi plays a cop in the film and Nayantara plays his lady love. She doesn’t play a glam doll, rather quite a solid role. Thani Oruvan is an action entertainer laced with romance. Of course, we have tried to convey something strong through the film and you’ll know what it is when you see it. Velayudham is the inspiration behind this film.”

So, what’s the film all about? “This time, it’s my original script, not a remake,” laughs Raja and says, “The tagline of the film is, ‘Show me your enemy. I’ll tell about you’. So here, the hero chooses his villain. I guess, this will be different from my previous films. The film is an expression of my social outlook and the things that I find wrong with the system.”

And how did he convince Arvind Swami to play a negative role in the film? “Arvind Swami has this rich and glamorous look. Initially, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to do it or not. After listening to the whole script, he said, ‘Thani Oruvan needs a person like me’ and I am glad that he accepted my offer.”

Raja says that when he makes a movie, he knows what the audiences want. “I don’t expect my film to get an Oscar. Only five per cent of the films released in a year make money and my films have always been in that list. Moreover, I want my film to give satisfaction to those who watch them,” he concludes.