'Aaranya Kaandam' is another differently made film by Capitol Film Works, the makers of cult films like 'Chennai 600028' and 'Kungumapoovum Konjumpuravum'. SPB Charan who always has that knack to cut ice with creative minds has thrown in an exceptional film from his stable yet again. This is SPB Charan's sixth production venture.
 
'Aaranya Kaandam' is directed by debutante Thiygarajan Kumararaja who became popular after writing the cranky dialogues in the Arya starrer `Oram Po'.
 
`Aaranya Kaandam' meaning `Jungle Chapter' is a movie "about the animal instinct in all of us," says director Kumararaja. The film deals with the animal instincts of man and traits that erase the boundaries separating man from beast. It is a gangster movie and the story takes place in North Chennai during the course of a single day.
 
The story of `Aaranya Kaandam' revolves around five characters.  Veteran Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff is debuting in Tamil playing an ageing don Ayya'. Sampath Raj is a gangster called Pasupathi. Ravi Krishna plays a big mouth lover boy. Somasundaram from theatre group Koothu Pattarai and Model turned actress Yasmin Ponnappa are the other major characters.
 
The story. Ayya is an ageing don with a waning libido whose inability makes him only ill treat more his twenty-year old captive mistress. Already aware of his decline, he resents the motives of his chief henchman Pasupathy who sees life after Ayya. Ostensibly agreeing to Pauspathy's plan to dispose of their competitors, Ayya sends his men to do another task. In the battle Pasupathy's girlfriend is taken hostage.
 
The super bad Pasupathy becomes more dangerous when he loses his girl. Ayya also has to worry about the missing drug shipment he plundered from the rival gang. Into this gang war enters a clumsy villager and his blabbermouth young son and they work for Ayya. The captive mistress finds true love in this dim-witted boy. Now, every twist and turn is a potential threat to each other.
 
In the background, is a city that is sweaty and grimy with rustic human beings and millions worth of cocaine. In the Jungle called life, man continues to draw from the animal within.
 
The characters and the actors who play them will be a revelation they say. Casting had its twists before the start. Jackie Shroff was not the first choice for the role. Director Kumararaja approached him only after a lot of Tamil actors refused citing `image' problem. Sampath's role of a henchman is so strong that Bollywood talent power house Irfan Khan wanted to do that. The female lead was actually written for the local talent power house Pooja. She could not accommodate the film as she was doing `Naan Kadavul' under Bala and hence Yasmin.
 
The ensemble of key crew is also very impressive. Yuvan Shankar Raja is the music director. Films of this kind are like `halwa' for him and he has excelled. Cinematography is by PS Vinod, who had earlier shot Bollywood films like Sanjay Gupta's `Musafir' for and Jijy Philip's `My Wife's Murder'. Videsh is the art director, 'Super' Subbarayan is the stunt master and Kalyan and Ajay Raj are the choreographers.
 
`Aaranya Kaandam' has already made a name in festival circuits. It won the Grand Jury Prize at the South Asian International Film Festival (SAFF), held in New York from October 27 to November 2 last year. It's international title is `Anima and Persona'.
 
Though `Aranya Kaandam' is a gangster movie the angle it has touched is never seen or imagined. At the same time it is not an art house movie and the film will be an entirely a new experience for Tamil audiences.
 
Check the trailer which is already out! You'll know what we mean. `Aaranya Kaandan' is releasing in January, 2011.