‘This film is not a frame-by-frame remake of Vicky Donor’

The film is a remake of Ayushmann Khurrana’s debut film Vicky Donor that went on to become a blockbuster. “The film released in Hindi almost eight years ago, and the audience accepted it. Though we have remade the film after eight years, it will still be relevant and we have tweaked the content to match the sensibilities of the Tamil audience,” begins Harish. Tanya seconds her co-star and says, “The topic of infertility is universal and I don’t believe anybody in society is shying away from discussing it. My character is that of someone, who is judgemental about sperm donors. Though it is a sensitive and a serious topic, the film will send across the message in a lighter vein so that nobody takes offence. Dharala Prabhu will be a laugh riot from the start to the end.”

Harish Kalyan has reprised Ayushmann’s role in the film. However, he clarifies that he hasn’t copied his body language. “My way of emoting or reacting to situations is quite different to how Ayushmann has enacted the role. I didn’t put myself into Ayushmann’s shoes to play the character. This will be my version of Vicky Donor. The crux of the story is the same but the story is presented by director Krishna in a refreshing manner. Also, this isn’t an adult comedy. The film will cater to people across all ages and sections. Vivekh sir has always chosen sensible scripts and he plays the doctor in the film. It means that he is convinced about the content,” the actor explains. Tanya says that the film is crucial for her, especially after a blockbuster like Thadam. “In fact, Thadam had quite a lot of characters that shouldered the film. Here, it revolves around three characters and I had to be responsible and elevate the film as well as the performance of my co-stars. Dharala Prabhu has boosted my confidence in taking up more challenging roles in Tamil.”

The executive producer of the film Anirudh Krishna, who is also the film’s lyricist joins us in the middle of the conversation. “I always wanted to write and have started off with this film as a lyricist. One song Kaadhal Theevey has been crooned by Sid Sriram and has opened to positive reviews. Another song will be unveiled before the film’s release,” he said. Haris concludes by saying that the film will have him playing a middle class youngster. “I have played one in my previous films as well. But my makeover and costumes will be totally different from my previous films. Watch out,” he tells us and heads for the photoshoot with Tanya and Anirudh.