A suspense thriller, the film records three days in the lives of post office workers.
A suspense thriller, the film records three days in the lives of post office workers.
Speaking about his film Praveen Venkataraman says, “It’s approx ₹7,40,000 and a few changes…” Podanur Thabal NilayamA suspense thriller which releases on 27th May on Aha Tamil OTT. An old film from the 1990s, also headlines the Podanur Post Office, the oldest and first post office in Coimbatore, functioning since 1886.
Situated next to Podanur railway station, it catered to the needs of British officers, railway employees and Anglo-Indians settled in Podanur. While some old documents, and old equipment such as a stamping device, and a telegraph device with a golden handle have been transferred to museums across the country, the post office still operates from the same location, catering to hundreds of people every day. She goes. a range of services.
Working pictures from film | photo credit: special arrangement
As Praveen’s father served as a postal assistant there, he grew up listening to the stories of the post office. “We believe that the post office is a dreary place. But, for me, it beats with drama. This is the central thread of the film’s story, a suspense thriller. I remember that I used to visit this place quite often during my school days. In the 1990s the post office also acted as a locker and handled large amounts of cash,” explains Praveen.
The film records three days in the lives of people working in the post office, with ordinary day-to-day affairs contributing to the narrative. Praveen, who directed, edited and played the lead role in the film, says that as an independent filmmaker, he had to work with minimal tools. He enlisted a group of newcomers and theater artists from the area to act in the film.
Praveen and his 10-member team converted a 125-year-old building in the Town Hall area into a post office. From the postmaster’s room with a plethora of old-fashioned switches and files to the entertainment room where the staff watch television and play carrom, they looked at every minute detail to make the set authentic. “While most parts of the film were shot on standing shots, we also shot in some of the oldest buildings and houses that grace the streets of Coimbatore. Every building that appears in the film is over 100 years old.”
still from the film | Photo Credit: Sukumaran Sundar
Praveen aspired to become an actor, studied animation, and worked as a VFX and 3D animator in a post-production studio in Mumbai. “Apart from Hollywood films, I also worked as a technical director Coachdais.But still, he faced many hurdles when it came to directing a film of his own. The Fashion Film Factory bought the film for release. “This is the biggest learning,” he says.
what next? “I want to make films that entertain but also set a new benchmark, something like Mandela,