Pothanur Thabal Nilayam: First part of the crime trilogy to Premiere on aha Tamil on May 27

The trailer of Pothanur Thabal Nilayam was released by Vijay Sethupathi recently. The first part of the trilogy will premiere on Aha Tamil on May 27.

Produced by Sudhan Sundaram, and G Jayaram under the Passion Studios banner; in association with Bicycle Cinemas, Pothanur Thabal Nilayam is directed by newbie Praveen, who has also played the lead in it.

Speaking to Silverscreen about the film, Praveen, who worked as a technical director for Rajinikanth-starrer Kochadaiiyaan, says, “Pothanur Thabal Nilayam takes place within two days and looks into how a mistake made by one person creates a ripple effect, becoming problematic for other people.”

Although the story has a concrete ending, Praveen adds he expanded it into two other parts, as there is so much to say in this story. "The first part takes place in 1990, while the other two instalments are set in 1991 and 1992, respectively. There will be a sense of continuity between all three films," he says.

Besides Praveen, Pothanur Thabal Nilayam has Anjali Rao, Venkat Sundar, Jagan Krish, Seetharaman and Deena, among others, in pivotal roles.

The film was shot by cinematographer Sukumaran Sundar across Coimbatore, Tiruchy, and Kerala. It was filmed in 2018 and 2019 and was edited by Praveen, himself. “We were scheduled for a theatrical release before the pandemic hit. However, if the film garners good reception post its release, the second one will also premiere in theatres,” Praveen tells Silverscreen.

Aside from the trilogy, Praveen will be helming a “hard-core crime” drama, which is yet to be announced.

Anjali Rao, who rose to fame with her roles in Soodhu Kavvum, Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada and Peechankai, tells DT Next, she’s conscious of choosing films that are offbeat and have strong content. “Praveen is a long-time friend and he wanted me to be a part of the film. I was blown away by the script and agreed to be a part of it. And these are the kinds of films where you can learn a lot!"

Interestingly, Pothanur Thabal Nilayam has music scored by popular independent musician Tenma.