Akash Murali bets on a 1970s racetrack drama

Akash Murali’s next film takes him to the racecourses of 1970s Madras. Romeo Pictures’ ninth production, launched this week with a pooja, is a period drama built around horse racing and the climb of an honest, ambitious young man, played by Murali, through its world of form sheets, odds and long shots.

The film marks the directorial debut of Harshavarathan, who trained as an associate under H. Vinoth, the director behind a run of grounded thrillers and two Ajith vehicles. Vinoth turned up for the launch alongside Ravi Mohan, who is around the industry socially even as he holds off on signing films, both wishing the team well. Raahul produces under the Romeo Pictures banner.

The period setting is the part the makers are leaning into hardest. Most of the current work is pre-production aimed at rebuilding 1970s Madras with some fidelity, its streets, its racing culture and the texture of the decade, before a frame is shot. It is an ambitious starting point for a first-time director, and the banner is backing it as a full-scale production rather than a modest debut.

The film was formally inaugurated by Raj Mohan, the state’s minister for school education, Tamil development and information. Before politics, he directed Baba Black Sheep for this same banner, which gave his turn flagging off its latest project a neat full circle.

The rest of the cast and the technical crew have not been announced yet. The makers say those names are coming soon.