Actor Pari Elavazhagan set foot in Tamil cinema with his lead role in the crime thriller Yaanum Theeyavan crafted by G Prashanth. Despite the buzz the entertainer did not enjoy a good reception. His sophomore project Chennai Palani Mars had an interesting plot line yet failed to impress the audience. Even his last recent outing under Suresh Mari’s directorial J Baby received critical acclaim but fell flat in the box office. After three straight debacles actor Pari Elavazhagan has decided to take the reins of direction under his fold in Jama. He has also played the lead part in the flick. Actress Ammu Abhirami has portrayed the female lead role. The movie is currently in the post production stage. The team has now begun to promote the drama.
Actor Pari Elavazhagan has recently sat down for an interview with a leading daily. Explaining the title Jama, he said, “Jama is nothing but the name of a troupe of street artists who work together.” Speaking about the plot of Jama, he revealed, “Jama will be the tale of reclaiming the lost glory. It follows the lives of two artistes who form a Jama as partners. A tussle drives one of the partners out. How his son reclaims what his father lost makes the crux of the story.” Talking about his part, he stated, “In the early days of Jama, due to safety concerns women hesitated to perform in street art. So, men started playing their roles. To bring in artistic touch, whoever played women began to grow long hair, and picked up mannerisms of women. This had significant repercussions in their personal and professional lives. They were regularly subjected to abuse. Sometimes even by their own costars. I play the role of one such character in Jama.”
Detailing about how he wrote the story, he narrates, “I come from a family that is involved in street theaters for generations. I have taken a few real-life incidents from my uncle Thangal Sekar’s life and have turned it into a plot. I spent nearly a good portion of two years on my research for the drama. Recent short films and documentaries on this art form have only covered the negative aspects like the artists involved are living in poverty, and that there is no market for this anymore. But that is not completely true. There are people who make a good living out of it too. I have brought that side into my story. In my hometown, street theaters are still a thing. People in our village would organize the event during special occasions and some of them even play a part in the show. We have casted many such people in Jama to bring in the authentic atmosphere. My uncle has trained these artists to perform to the likes of a feature film. I am confident people will appreciate our efforts.”
Jama also has actors Chetan, Sri Krishna Dayal, KVN Manimegalai, Kaala Kumar, Vasanth Marimuthu, and Siva Marana playing various supporting parts. Music for the film is composed by maestro Illaiyaraaja. Cinematographer Gopal Krishna has been behind the camera. Editor M A Partha has been trusted with the editing department. Art director Srikanth Gopal has designed the background for the drama. Jama is produced by Sai Devanand under the production house Learn and Teach Production. The production team is expected to announce the release date of the movie soon.
