Nimisha Sajayan’s Tamil film ‘Enna Vilai’ wins Award for Best Cinematography at Atlanta Indian Film Festival (AIFF)
Chennai, Oct 9 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Director Sajeev Pazhoor’s eagerly-awaited socio-political family thriller ‘Enna Vilai’, featuring actors Nimisha Sajayan and Karunas in the lead, has won the Award for Best Cinematography at the Atlanta Indian Film Festival (AIFF).
Presented at the festival ceremony, the award was accepted by producer Anugopal Venugopalan on behalf of the film’s cinematographer Alby Antony.
Alby Antony, while reacting to the news of his win, said, “Receiving the Best Cinematography Award at the Atlanta Indian Film Festival is an incredibly humbling and proud moment for me. Enna Vilai is deeply rooted in its landscape and characters, and it was a privilege to translate that world into images. I share this honour with director Sajeev Pazhoor, producer Githesh Viswambharan and Anugopal Venugopalan and the entire team.”
Githesh Viswambharan and Anugopal Venugopalan, the producers of the film, said, “An international recognition for Alby Antony’s cinematography is a moment of great pride for the entire Enna Vilai team. This award is a wonderful acknowledgement of the film’s visual language and creative work.”
For the unaware, Enna Vilai, which stars Karunaas and Nimisha Sajayan, is set in coastal Rameswaram and follows a fisherman whose life takes an unexpected turn, exploring justice, dignity and resilience.
Actress Nimisha Sajayan, whose performance in the social drama ca me in for praise from industry insiders and critics, had disclosed that the director of the film had never disclosed which character he had in mind for her while he first narrated the script to her.
Nimisha Sajayan had said, “When Sajeev narrated the story to me, he didn’t tell me which character he had in mind for me. He simply said, ‘Okay, now, you pick.’ There were two beautifully written characters, and Rishi’s character was also brilliantly written. So, I was genuinely curious and a little sceptical about whether he was considering me for Vijayalakshmi’s character or the role of Kanchana. But honestly, I was happy either way. I was completely open to taking up Viji’s character as well because I really liked the space the character offered.”
Stating that she already had a soft corner for Kanchana’s character, Nimisha said, “So, when Sajeev finally told me that the character he had in mind for me was Kanchana, I was overwhelmed. I was almost in tears. I just hugged him and asked him, ‘Why did you do this?’ I wasn’t sure which character he was going to offer me because both were so beautifully and strongly written. But the moment he said, ‘It’s you,’ it became a very emotional moment for me. The beauty of ‘Enna Vilai’ is that every character has a deep emotional arc.”
Stating that she didn’t have many combination scenes with Karunaas, who plays the lead in the film, Nimisha said his performance was extraordinary.
“Vijayalakshmi’s character is also very hard-hitting, and she has excelled as a performer. I am so glad that the press and media fraternity has received the film so warmly. It is a bliss to receive such heartfelt appreciation for my character. Director Sajeev deserves all the credit for bringing these characters to life. I am sure Enna Vilai will remain a memorable film for cinema lovers,” she said.
Rooted in a socially relevant premise, Enna Vilai follows a man whose means of survival is tied to the coins devotees offer to the sea near Rameswaram. What begins as a struggle for dignity and livelihood gradually develops into a larger legal battle, bringing questions of justice, survival and human dignity into sharp focus.
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