Remaking Srinivasan's Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala

All those who have seen Srinivasan's award-winning Malayalam film Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala know that cinematographer-turned-filmmaker Thankar Bachan's new film Chidambarathil Oru Appasamy is a remake of that.

But unlike Vikram, who proclaimed that his Maja is a remake of Thommanum Makalum, Thankar Bachan has not made any such confession.

Srinivasan also wrote the story, dialogues, screenplay and acted as the protagonist of the film, besides directing the black comedy.

The film was about a man who shirked responsibilities and hated working. He would come up with unique ideas to escape work. The fact that he had a wife and two kids did not deter him from inventing excuses. When all his excuses failed, he decided to be a sanyasi. The rest of the film is about how his wife gained the confidence to bring up her daughters alone.

What made the film different were the crazy situations and funny dialogues. The story may give the impression that the film is a weepy one. But it's quite on the contrary.

The Malayalam film focused on the wife Shyamala, but Thankar Bachan has decided to give the man, Appasamy, more importance. Bachan has decided to apply paint on his face too.

Interestingly, if Shyamala was portrayed excellently by Tamil actress Sangeeta, the Tamil version has Navya Nair playing the wife's role. For the first time, 21-year-old Navya will play the mother of two children.

Text: Shobha Warrier