Chennai, May 10 (IANS) Director S Lathha, who is now in the process of making a fantasy drama for kids titled 'Maragathamalai', says she chose to write the story of this film after her children asked her to pen a story that she loved.

Lathha, who is the latest woman director to emerge from the Tamil film industry, said, "I've always had a love for fairy tales. Growing up, I heard many stories from my grandmother and mother. Later on, I started infusing those stories together and started narrating many tales with my imagination to everyone, including my children. Over time, this sparked the desire to make a film. I started listening to many stories and one day, my children asked me, 'Why don’t you write a story that you love?' That’s how ‘Maragathamalai’ came to be. I started and finished it with the help of great technicians.”

To ensure that the film appeals to the tastes of children, a bunch of promising child artistes have been cast in this film along with VFX-generated animals making it a unique fantasy drama.

The film stars Master Shashanth, Arima, Mahithra, Kalaiko, and others. Well known actor Santhosh Prathap plays the lead role alongside Deepshikha in this film, which will also feature actors Thambi Ramayya, Jagan and Sampath Ram in pivotal roles. Temper Vamsi will be seen playing the antagonist in this film.

Set in the 18th century, the film, a period drama, was shot in a period of 40 days. The film’s shooting took place in the “Thada” forest area, where a grand set was built.

Sources say that at present work on the VFX portions were being carried out, with dedicated efforts round-the-clock to ensure the highest quality.

Apart from directing the film, Lathha has also penned its story, dialogues, screenplay and lyrics as well.

With the shooting now having been completed, the unit plans to release the film in May so as to enable families to enjoy it together during the summer vacation.

The film has music by L V Muthu Ganesh and cinematography by P G Muthiah. Editing for the film is by Biju V. Don Bosco while art direction is by P. Shanmugam.

--IANS

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