Aishwarya Rajesh, director Virumandi talk about Tamil cinema's first pay-per-view model film, Ka Pae Ranasingam

When Kamal Haasan wanted to release his high-budget Vishwaroopam on DTH a day before its theatrical release in 2013, exhibitors, distributors and theatre owners strongly protested his decision and threatened to boycott the film before he dropped his plan. Now, Aishwarya Rajesh and Vijay Sethupathi’s Ka Pae Ranasingam will become the first Tamil film to premiere in the digital platform on a pay-per-view model on Zee Plex and also simultaneously in major DTH platforms for Rs 199. “To be honest, I really wanted Ka Pae Ranasingam to release in theatres. My mother is a huge fan of theatre experience and I used to accompany her to all movies. But, I also feel that Ka Pae Ranasingam is a good opportunity for us since audiences are mostly confined to their homes during this lockdown time and would like to watch new content. The pricing of Rs 199 was decided by the producer and the Zee team. Although it sounds expensive, the entire family can watch the movie with the same price. It’s an entirely new experience for me and I’m waiting to see how audiences receive this,” said Aishwarya Rajesh in a group interaction. Directed by newcomer Virumandi and produced by KJR Studios, best known for bankrolling Nayanthara’s Aramm and distributing Ajith’s Viswasam, Ka Pae Ranasingam features Vijay Sethupathi in a pivotal role. “When I was shooting in Ramanathapuram, I witnessed the dire effects of water scarcity first-hand and the struggles of the people. My perception of the usage of water changed for good. After I finished shooting and came back to Chennai, I became very cautious about using water. It was a totally different experience. When I heard the script [of Ka Pae Ranasingham], it was quite hard-hitting for me. I realised the value of water conservation,” Aishwarya further said about her experience on the film. [caption id=“attachment_8866331” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  The poster of Ka Pae Ranasingam.[/caption] Talking about how he landed the opportunity to direct Ka Pae Ranasingam, director Virumandi said, “I have been working in the industry for nearly 20 years. I collaborated with Gopi Nainar in Aramm and also assisted Sarjun KM briefly in Airaa. That’s how KJR Studios gave me the opportunity to work on this project. When I narrated the script to Vijay Sethupathi, I was quite nervous. But, he told me that he will suggest someone else for the role. I felt very sad. Later, things materialised and he came on board.” Virumandi said that the story mainly revolves around the struggles of farmers, unemployment, and water scarcity in a village in Tamil Nadu. “But, the treatment of the screenplay will appeal to commercial audiences as well. There was a real-life character called Ranasingam who lived in the village (near Ramanathapuram) where we shot the film. He struggled for the welfare of the people and died for them. I got inspired by the name and wanted to keep it as the film’s title,” he stated. Aishwarya revealed that Ka Pae Ranasingam started as a guest role for Vijay Sethupathi. “But, the character evolved beautifully and now, he’s there for nearly one hour of the film’s duration. His schedule was chockablock with multiple projects but he graciously allotted more than 20 days for our film. Ka Pae Ranasingam will be a hard-hitting, emotional film.” Heaping praise on Aishwarya Rajesh as a strong performer, Virumandi said, “There were various instances where she used to do multiple takes voluntarily to better the previous performance. She has delivered a stellar performance and I’m sure audiences will feel the same after watching the movie.” Aishwarya Rajesh further added, “Digital platforms have paved the way for more experimental films and interesting storytellers.”