'Vaandu' is a film on street fight

A former assistant of Selvaraghavan, Vashan Shaji has now directed

Vaandu

, which revolves around street fights. “The film is based on a true incident that happened in North Madras. I have explored life in the slums with street fight as the core element,” begins the director, who says that he spent six months in research for the film. For the actors, he auditioned boys from the locality and cast them for most of the roles, and shot the film in a single schedule.

Allwyn, and Seenu, who is the producer’s son, play the lead roles, while Sai Dheena, Madras fame Rama and Maha Gandhi, who played a baddie in Thadaiyara Thaakka, are among the recognisable faces.

Talking about street fights, he says, “Here, if a player is unable to bear his opponent’s blows, then, he is considered knocked out. These fights happen without any safety gear. There is no safety to a participant’s life in this one. There is no refereeing, and the result of a match is decided by the players themselves. There is also betting involved.”