Director Karthik Subbaraj’s upcoming Tamil film ‘Dorothy’, starring Keerthy Suresh, Rishikanth and Sananth, is set to hit theatres on September 25. The pre-release event of the film was attended by the cast and crew, who shared their experiences of working on the project. The film has already had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and is gearing up for its theatrical release.
Speaking at the event, Karthik Subbaraj said his interest in cinema was rooted in Madurai, where he was born and brought up. He said ‘Dorothy’ was more emotional than his earlier film ‘Iraivi’ and added that the project had been like a “magic” experience from the beginning. He described Ilaiyaraaja’s music as one of the biggest blessings for the film and thanked the composer for becoming the soul of the project. He also praised Rishikanth and Sananth and said their real-life friendship helped their combination work well on screen. According to Karthik, Keerthy Suresh immediately agreed to the film after hearing the story, and her presence added value to the project. ‘Dorothy’ marks his 10th directorial venture.
Rishikanth thanked Karthik for giving him the opportunity and said he and Sananth underwent two months of training in Madurai for the film. He added that any appreciation received by the actors should be credited to the director’s guidance. Sananth recalled his association with Karthik from the short-film days and said working with him again felt like returning to those days. He also recalled the positive response to the film at Toronto and described it as a special project for the entire team. Keerthy Suresh said she accepted the film immediately after reading the story and praised the performances of Rishikanth and Sananth. She expressed hope that the film would generate discussion both in India and internationally.
Other members of the team also shared their experiences. Editor Ganesh Siva said he had entered cinema inspired by Karthik’s ‘Jigarthanda’ and never imagined he would work on one of the director’s films. Art director Kumar spoke about the challenges of shooting in locations around Dindigul and Madurai, while actress Jeeva said the film took her to an international platform through its Toronto premiere. Distributor Sakthivelan of Sakthi Film Factory described ‘Dorothy’ as a commercial film rooted in Karthik’s style of portraying Madurai. The film has music by Ilaiyaraaja, cinematography by S Thirunavukkarasu and editing by Ganesh Siva.
‘Dorothy’ is set against the backdrop of rural Tamil Nadu and revolves around two childhood friends whose lives are shaped by friendship, violence, social divisions and human emotions. Keerthy Suresh plays the titular character, with Sananth and Rishikanth in the lead roles. The film is scheduled for worldwide theatrical release on September 25.