One of the hottest topics of discussion in the Southern industry , is which actor will take on the role of late Vellupillai Prabhakaran, and which director will get behind the camera to film a biopic on the chief of the exterminated LTTE. Last month, Prakash Raj set the ball rolling at an interactive session organised by the Karnataka Film Journalist Association in Bangalore. He said that he was offered the role of Prabhakaran by a famous director and was toying with the idea of doing it.
The actor was quoted saysing, “I’d like to perform the role according to the demands of the script and won’t do any homework or preparation as I want to be very spontaneous.” But once he was back in Chennai, he said he had no desire to play the role of the LTTE chief. Soources close to Malayalam actor, Mohal Lal, say he isn’t averse to doing the role, but he will work only with a dierctor he trusts, like Mani Ratnam or RGV.
The only person who is firm about the commitment to making a film on the LTTE chief is AMR Ramesh, the Kannada film maker who made critically acclaimed Cyanide. Says Ramesh, ” I’ve been doing research on Prabhakaran and the LTTE. That may take over a year, as the film has to be authentic, for which the extensive research and visits to Sri Lanka are a must.” The director has already found a producer to make the film in English and Tamil.
Ramesh claims that the LTTE political wing’s chief Tamilselvan [who died a few months ago in a SriLanka Aarmy air raid], called him after watching Cyanide and congradulated him on making a brilliant film. He also agreed to arrange a meeting between Ramesh and Prabhakaran to help the former know more about the LTTE chief. ” I can make an objective film on Prabhakaran without making him look like a martyr or a terrorist. Both the LTTE and Karthikeyan, the investigation officer in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, were all praise for Cyanide, as it did not glorify terrorism,” says Ramesh.