Get ready for some fun 'horror'

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Get ready for some fun horror

Director Sundar C's sequel to comic thriller Aranmanai is here.

By Deepa Gauri

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Published: Wed 27 Jan 2016, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Thu 28 Jan 2016, 8:11 AM

When Aranmanai released, audiences weren't exactly sure what to expect. It was helmed by Sundar C, so they were assured of some breezy fun. But fun in a horror movie with a cast including Hansika Motwani?
The viewers were in for a pleasant surprise as Sundar effectively balanced thrills, laughter and eerie moments galore with a relatively less stellar cast, leaving behind the possibility of a sequel.
And now it is back. Aranmanai 2, playing at theatres in the UAE, is more colourful than before; it is has become bigger in its cast and it has all the frills of another fun-caper with some terrifying moments thrown in for good measure.
Director Sundar says he was totally clear of the direction the film had to take. "I want all audiences to come and watch the film."
That, by the way, has always been his approach. His oeuvre of movies is tailored for family audiences, at least in the past few years, having earlier resorted to some corny jokes. But then, Tamil cinema too has evolved much since the formula fare that was dished out.
Sundar says he had no intention to do a sequel although the eerie presence in the final frame of the climax did leave a few things unresolved. "And then people started asking me if I was planning a sequel. And I thought, why not! After all, the basic formula worked well."
That is how he resorted to the sequel in which he doesn't tamper with the fundamentals. In making the film 'bigger,' he brings in Siddharth in the lead, having already formed a comfort zone with the young actor in an earlier joint film venture.
He had absolutely no doubt about bringing back Hansika Motwani, and he says she is essential to what can now be called a franchise of its own. "She is the quintessential part of the movie; I cannot think about the film without her."
The film also has Trisha in addition to Sundar, Soori and Kovai Sarala. Bringing in Trisha and Siddharth gives the film a strong sounding board at the box office too, and not surprisingly, this time around the film has already opened to huge box office early bookings in Chennai. The film is also being released in Telugu, where the lead cast has a strong fan-following.
For Siddharth, the film could not have been a better bet to get away from the outstanding work he was doing in real life. The young actor turned real-life hero as he joined a team of volunteers in serving Chennai residents during the recent floods. His unconditional efforts have won him huge praise from the film fraternity and the common people.
This weekend, while R Madhavan also competes for box office space with Irudhi Suttru (also releasing this week in the UAE along with its Hindi version Saala Khadoos), audiences are in for a double treat: A gritty drama and a sheer fantasy. Both look set to mint some box office gold.


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