Chennai: You may hate him, or you may love him, but there's no ignoring the slain forest brigand Veerappan, who continues to charm filmmakers many years after his death in 2004 at the hands of the state special task force (STF). Now, yet another investigative film, 'Vana Yudham' — promising to show the good, the bad and the ugly side of the bandit — is being attempted by director AMR Ramesh.
The bilingual, whose shooting began early this week, is not the result of an impulsively-written bandit story, nor is it an ode to the man regarded as the Robin Hood of the woods, says Ramesh. "Veerappan kindled my fervour for investigation, and I researched on him for 11 years," he explains. Real-life incidents and investigations about them are Ramesh's forte, with the filmmaker having dabbled in such themes earlier, like the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, through the film Cyanide Kuppi. In Vana Yudhdham too, a research-backed script, which shows the different facets of the brigand, will be a highlight, Ramesh assures.
Actor Kishore, who has played memorable roles in films such as 'Polladhavan', 'Jeyam Kondaan' and 'Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu', will play the eponymous character of the film. Actor Vijayalakshmi, who has acted in 'Chennai 28', 'Anjathay' and Rajini's Hara, will play Muthulakshmi, Veerappan's wife. Actor Arjun will reprise the role of the super cop Vijayakumar, who headed the task force that finally shot dead Veerappan, while actor Ravi Kaalai will play Senthamarai Kannan, the SP of the STF. Actress Sulakshana of 'Sindhu Bhairavi' fame will play the role of Parvathamma, wife of Kannada actor Rajkumar, who was kidnapped by Veerappan in 2000.
To up the film's realism quotient, the filmmaker has obtained permission to shoot across the real locales that hold significance in Veerappan's life. "We are currently in Papparappatti in Dharmapuri district, filming the scene where Veerappan was finally killed. It's such a beautiful place and a virgin location where films have not been shot before,” Ramesh says.
The film will also be shot in Gopinatham, Veerappan's native village, in and around Hogenakkal, where four cops were killed by Veerappan's gang, and Sorakaimedu, where a blast orchestrated by his gang killed 24 people.
While attempting a bio-pic on one of South India's most dreaded anti-heroes, who was said to wield enormous political influence, is Ramesh worried about how the film will hit the screens or how the censor board will view it? "How a film is received is completely based on how it is made. Kuppi was based on an incident that shook and enraged an entire nation, but my film was awarded the U Certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification. This film too, I am confident, will be well-received by the audience and the censor board," Ramesh says.
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