Mani Ratnam is a Taskmaster : Dayana Erappa

Mani Ratnam’s upcoming multi-starrer will bring a new face to Tamil cinema, model-turned-actor Dayana Erappa. The young actress is quite kicked about her role and equally nervous, admits Dayana. Chekka Chivantha Vaanam has a heavy star cast which includes big names like Jyothika, Simbu, Arvind Swami, Vijay Sethupathi, Aditi Rao Hydari and Arvun Vijay. Speaking about her experience, Dayana says that she was really nervous during initial days of the shooting. “I literally had butterflies in my stomach and was scared! I even forgot my lines and totally went blank. Only after a few scenes, I slowly got the hang of it. The film gave me a great insight about how different films are from modelling,” Dayana told Deccan Chronicle.

Speaking about her role and what she was told by ace director Mani Ratnam, Dayana adds, “I play a fun, adventurous and independent girl; that’s how I am in my real life, so I could pull it off. In fact, Mani Ratnam sir asked me to be myself for the part so that it looks natural.“

Dayana also says that actor Simbu helped her in getting the lines right for the film. “Simbu helped me with my continuity lines and scenes when I forgot,” she adds. Dayana also says that Mani Ratnam is a tough task master and also heaps praises on it. “He is a visionary and his clarity of thought is fantastic. He knows how to get the best out of the actors, and I’m fortunate to debut in his film,” she adds.

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam is being bankrolled by Madras Talkies while Lyca Productions has taken up the responsibilities of distributing the film. Said to be an intense drama plot, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam has a stellar star cast which has made audiences quite excited about it. As is a Mani Ratnam film would create a huge excitement amongst fans and with top stars of Tamil cinema joining hands, it will be the most watched out for film in the coming season.