Samuthirakani and Sam have four looks in Yemaali

Director VZ

Dhorai

, who has made films like Mugavari and Thotti Jaya, is now back with Yemaali, which has debutant Sam Jones, Samuthirakani, Athulya Ravi and Roshini as leads. The film’s teaser has invited comparisons with Taramani, for the bold portrayal of male-female relationship, but the director clarifies that

Yemaali

is not similar to that film. “The screenplay has four layers, and what you saw in the teaser is just clippings from one layer. You cannot relate it to any particular genre, though it largely deals with romance,” he says.

The director says that both

Sam

Jones and Samuthirakani will be seen playing four characters each. “You will see Samuthirakani as a software engineer, as a cop in the Tamil Nadu police department, as a Central Department of Investigation (CDI) officer and as a character with a physical impairment, like Raghuvaran in Poovizhi Vaasalile whereas Sam will be playing a cop, a CDI officer, a software engineer and a guy who is going through a breakup.” While Athulya of Kadhal Kan Kattudhe fame plays Sam’s pair, Roshini, who has done films in Kannada and Telugu, will be seen as Samuthirakani’s love interest. While there is buzz that Athulya has acted in a bold way in the film, Dhorai says that he wouldn’t call it so, and adds, “All I can say is that she has justified the character she is playing — a young girl who is involved in a relationship that is very much contemporary.”

Dhorai is also introducing Sam D Raj, who had a western band in Dubai, as the music director. “I’m interested in giving new sounds to the audience, and Sam is my partner as well, as we run an ad film-making company together. His songs will be interesting to the audience, especially two numbers, which are breakup songs from the male and female perspectives,” he says.