By DC Correspondent
Copyright deccanchronicle
“As a kid, I craved idlis every single day, but I couldn’t afford them,” recalled actor-filmmaker Dhanush at the audio launch of his upcoming directorial Idli Kadai in the city. “We would pick flowers in the fields at dawn — two hours earned us two rupees. My sister, cousins, and I woke up at 4 a.m., bathed at a local pump set, and walked the main road clad only in towels. With that money, we bought four or five idlis. Nothing beats the satisfaction and taste of food bought with your own hard-earned money, not even a meal in a star hotel.”Those childhood memories are at the film’s core. “Although the name Idli Kadai may sound simple, the central character and the hero of the film is the idli shop,” Dhanush said.Ilaiyaraja songs have a special placeHe traced its spark to an Ilaiyaraaja melody. “Whenever I travel alone, my constant companion is Ilaiyaraaja sir’s music. Once, on a foreign trip, I played an old song, Naan Erikkarai Melirunthu, and suddenly I was back in my grandmother’s village, eight years old, at the only idli kadai there.”Spread loveOn online hostility, he was firm: “There is no such thing as ‘haters.’ Everyone watches every film, including those who spread negativity. The ground reality is different from what they project. If people spread love, it will be returned.”He also had a personal note for his fans. “These days, I meet many fans who are now doctors, engineers and lawyers. That makes me truly happy, because that is what I wish for them. Support the films, but focus on building your life.”The cast—including Nithya Menen, Sathyaraj, Arun Vijay, Samuthirakani, Rajkiran, Shalini Pandey, and Parthiban — attended the launch along with several film personalities. Idli Kadai is produced by Akash Bhaskaran under the Dawn Pictures banner, with Dhanush’s Wunderbar Pictures also backing the film. It marks the distribution debut of Inban Udhayanidhi, son of Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, through Red Giant Movies.
