It has been a long wait for Priya to direct her first feature film, the Tamil movie Kanda Naal Mudal. Till it happened, Priya occupied herself by writing the script of Revathy's directorial debut Mitr- My friend, assisting Mani Ratnam in Iruvar, Dil Se, Yuva [Images] and Aayutha Exhuthu, and Ratnam's wife Suhasini in her directorial debut Indira.

Priya has also directed several television serials for Telephoto Films (owned by Suresh Menon and Revathy) and Madras Talkies (Mani Ratnam's production house).

Even today, she is known as Mani Ratnam's assistant and she has no qualms about it. "Yes, that is my address; Mani Ratnam's Assistant, and I am proud of it."

Kanda Naal Mudal is produced by National Award-winning actor Prakash Raj's [Images] production house, Duet Movies. Its first production, a small film titled Azhagiya Theeya (starring Prasanna and Navya Nair) was a surprise hit at the Tamil box office.

Priya has known Prakash Raj from the days when she assisted Mani Ratnam in Iruvar.

She does not claim Kanda Naal Mudal is a 'different' film but assures that her characters are as normal as "you and me." They behave like normal people, and that is what makes them 'different,' she says.

This love story has Prasanna and Laila in the lead, with Karthik, the hero of P C Sreeram's Vaanam Vassapadum, playing an important role.

Sreeram is the cinematographer for Kanda Naal Mudal, Sreekar Prasad is the editor, Thotta Tharani is the art director and Yuvan Shankar Raja is the music director.

Text: Shobha Warrier