RJ Balaji talks Veetla Vishesham, the Tamil remake of Badhaai Ho: 'It will be a notch higher than the original'

After two successful films - _LKG_ and _Mookuthi Amman_ , actor-writer-director RJ Balaji seems to be set for a hattrick with his next release, Veetla Vishesham. Though this is the official remake of the hit Hindi film _Badhaai Ho_ , RJ has added his brand of comedy and written it keeping the Tamil audience in mind. So what made him opt for a remake of a Hindi film at this point? “With the success of Mookuthi Amman and seeing how Eagles Ramasamy’s family was so well-loved by the audience, we had decided to make a sort of sequel to that film. Our storyline was similar to that of _Badhaai H_o and when we got the offer to remake it, we thought it would be the perfect vehicle,” explains Balaji. Veetla Vishesham stars Sathyaraj, Urvashi and KPAC Lalitha, along with RJ Balaji and Aparna Balamurali among others. It has been produced by Boney Kapoor, Romeo Pictures and Zee Studios and hits theatres on 17 June. While Mookuthi Amman had a big name like Nayanthara in the project, Veetla Vishesham has Tamil film industry veterans playing the leads. Was it a conscious decision not to have a big star in this film? “In this film, we didn’t need a star to carry the film forward so yes, it was a conscious decision. Sathyaraj, Urvashi and KPAC Latha have a fantastic body of work, are extremely talented and have great comic timing too. In fact, I believe that the Tamil film will be better than the Hindi original because of the powerful actors we have on board. The Hindi film was great but this will be one notch higher,” says Balaji confidently.

The basic plot of Veetla Vishesham is of a middle-aged couple who discover they are expecting another child despite having grown-up kids. And what ensues post this is what the film is all about. Keeping in mind the Tamil audience and local sensibilities, certain scenes have been eliminated from the original comedy-drama and others have been added on.

“We have added on a seven to eight-minute climax scene that is not part of the original film and this will be one of the highlights of the film,” he explains.

When RJ Balaji writes or directs a film then people know that it will be a laugh riot and this is what the audience is expecting with Veetla Vishesham too. He is known for his particular brand of comedy and he stresses that all he wants to do is good work. “I started as an RJ and today I work in films and have a podcast. Even if a single podcast I do is not up-to-the-mark, I feel bad because I want to give my best every time I do something. And it is the same with cinema. I don’t want to do one film a year for the sake of it - every film I do should be quality content and it doesn’t matter if it takes two or three years. We have a long time to prove ourselves and I’m taking it one step at a time. Other directors are also offering me good roles and I like acting as well. Also with every film we make, we learn from our mistakes and correct it in the next one. It is all a learning process and I’m enjoying it right now,” Balaji says candidly. Balaji, who has essayed Ayushman Khurana’s role, is busy promoting Veetla Vishesham and he elaborates that because the audience knows what kind of comic content his films are about, he takes on the responsibility of promoting his films fervently. He adds, “My films have wonderful actors but when it comes to promotions and marketing, people know me and what my comedy is about so I ensure that I promote to the best of my ability. In fact, on one day, I had to do nine different shoots!” The Tamil remake of Badhaai Ho has been co-directed by RJ Balaji and NJ Saravanan. It has music by Girishh Gopalakrishnan, editing by Selva RK and cinematography by Karthik Muthukumar. Balaji has teamed up with Selva and Girishh once again after the success of Mookuthi Amman. “When the movie went to the censors, they wanted to give a U/A certificate and I asked them why. They spoke about the content of the film and I explained that these were important conversations to have. The content of the film is not preachy but it has subtle messaging told in a comic way so that it reaches the audience. The censor board understood what we were trying to achieve and gave us a U certificate,” elucidates Balaji. With a runtime of just over two hours, Veetla Vishesham promises to be a family entertainer that’s a perfect summer treat. Veetla Vishesham releases in cinemas on 17 June.

Latha Srinivasan is a senior journalist based in Chennai. Her passion is entertainment, travel, and dogs. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.