For Attakathi Dinesh, Thirudan Police (TP), his next film, will always be special. “TP can best be described as a film on the bond between a father and his son and also about a police constable and the problems he faces.
It is a very realistic film and not just a commercial entertainer,” begins Dinesh on a bright note and then suddenly says, “This film will move you. I believe anybody who watches this movie will miss their dad as much as I missed mine after watching it.”
Despite the nervous smile he sports, his voice begins to quiver and his occasional sighs give away the heaviness he feels in his heart as he talks about his dad. It is clear why Dinesh holds this film close to his heart. “My dad was suffering from jaundice. He developed lung problems as well and passed away soon after Cuckoo’s success. So, I missed my dad not only while watching this film but even while shooting for it,” he discloses.
“I hardly spoke to my dad for almost 13 years because I was trying to get into cinema and hadn’t got my break. He was concerned about where I was heading. Luckily, he was there to witness Attakathi’s success and felt relieved I had made a name for myself. I spoke to him finally before he passed away,” says Dinesh, who is all praise for TP’s director Caarthick Raju’s efforts.
“To play a visually challenged person in Cuckoo, I had trained myself to close my eyes in a particular fashion the moment the director called out ‘action’. As we had shot for the film for over nine months, the practice sort of got ingrained in my system and my eyelids would automatically shut as soon as I heard the word ‘action’. I began shooting for TP four days after I completed Cuckoo and therefore, this habit persisted. As a result, we had to re-shoot some scenes but the entire team, including Caarthick, was understanding and supported me throughout. Eventually, I made an effort to get rid of the practice,” he says.
Dinesh believes that there are no accidents in life. “It’s a fact that is stated by the character Master Oogway in Kung Fu Panda. I buy that theory completely. I believe everything happens for a reason,” he signs off.