Short film director Arul Sankar is a die-hard fan of music maestro Ilaiyaraaja. In fact, his début short film Thendral Vandhu Theendum Bodhu, a line from one of the popular songs by the composer, revolves around a newly-married couple who bond over Ilaiyaraaja’s hit numbers. Arul Sankar says, “I wanted to depict what it is to be an Ilaiyaraaja fan. In a way, my short film is a homage to Isaignani, whose music has played a pivotal role in my life.”
The film, which was released on Ilaiyaraaja’s birthday (June 2) this year, is now in the limelight because it has won close to nine awards at several international film festivals. Its most recent recognition came from the Cult Critic Movie Awards, where it bagged the Outstanding Achievement Award. However, Arul Sankar is not particularly excited about the awards. “From its inception, I was very clear that the film should appeal to international audiences. Unlike many short film directors who take up social issues, I wanted to tell a simple love story between two characters.”
Starring Suraj Natarajan Nagoji and Jaqlene Prakash in lead roles, the film has music by Naren Balakumar. Arul Sankar, who’s an IT professional, is passionate about movies. “I’m planning to direct a few more short films before venturing into feature films.”