Director Mari Selvaraj has described the upcoming Atharvaa-starrer DNA as a film that feels “like reading a novel,” praising its nuanced characters and quiet, observational approach to storytelling. The endorsement came during a gathering where details about the film, directed by Nelson Venkatesan, were shared ahead of its June 20 release.
Elaborating on his assessment, Mari noted DNA’s departure from conventional cinematic fanfare. “The film gives the feeling of reading a novel, without any spectacle,” he stated. “His [Nelson’s] characters have an inherent life. He stands apart among our generation of directors. His social responsibility is evident in his creations.” He added that the film explores the hidden stories in everyday life, “like the story inside a counter where we stand to pay a bill, or a terrible incident that might have happened in a taxi we travel in.”
The film’s lead, Atharvaa, provided insight into the creative process that may have contributed to this quality. He recounted an improvised scene with co-star Nimisha Sajayan that was ultimately kept in the film. “The scene was only 15 seconds long… but Nimisha continued to express her acting skills. I matched her performance. This went on for about 40 seconds,” Atharvaa recalled. “When we saw that scene later, it was beautiful. Nelson has kept that scene in the film as it is.” Atharvaa also clarified that the title, DNA, is an acronym for the lead characters’ names, Divya and Anand, subverting expectations of a science-fiction plot.
Director Nelson Venkatesan, whose previous work includes Oru Naal Koothu, described DNA as a “crime action drama” but also a project made without creative compromise. The film’s unconventional approach extends to its music, which features songs from five debutant composers—Srikanth Hariharan, Sakthivel Sivan, Praveen Saivi, Sathya Prakash, and Anal Akash—while established composer Ghibran handled the background score.
Director Raju Murugan also expressed strong confidence in the film, predicting it would be a significant commercial success for Nelson. The cast includes Nimisha Sajayan, Manasa Choudhary, Ramesh Thilak, and Balaji Sakthivel. The film is produced by Olympia Movies and will be distributed by Red Giant Movies.