Napoleon's America Aavi brings 200 US newcomers to Tamil cinema

Napoleon is back on the big screen, and he has brought around 200 first-time actors with him. America Aavi, a comedy horror thriller starring the veteran, was shot entirely in the United States with a cast of Tamils living there, and its songs and trailer are now out ahead of a worldwide theatrical release. The makers are billing it as the first Tamil film made completely in America.

Debutant Thanjai JPR wrote and directed the film, and Napoleon’s sons Dhanush Napoleon and Gunal Napoleon produced it under Jeevan Films. “Nashville” Prabhu is the cinematographer, Aadhish Uthriyan composed the music, Vinu edited and Indhu Rajkumar handled the art direction.

The cast is what makes it unusual. “They are software engineers, doctors, scientists, professors, all in big positions at big companies,” Napoleon said. “We made this film in 75 days, using the time they could set aside for us. Monday to Friday they are all busy, so we planned the shoot around the hours they gave us.” Most had never even watched a film shoot, he said, so he and the director trained them. He compared it to Sivaji Ganesan’s Bharatha Vilas, which brought together people from across India. “In this film, there are people from all over the world, from more than 40 countries.”

Gunal Napoleon explained the title. “When we hear aavi, we think of a ghost, and that is in this film too,” he said. “But in America the word carries another meaning. So many people have come there from so many countries, and every one of them is a striver, someone working their way to success. That meaning is in these characters too.” He was amazed, he said, at how much talent was hidden among Tamils in America, all of whom worked on the film in the little free time their jobs allowed. His brother Dhanush, the co-producer, could not attend. “Honestly, he is my boss,” Gunal said. Dhanush was watching the livestream, and sent a message asking audiences to come to theatres with their families.

The music was released by Takahashi, Japan’s Consul-General in Chennai, along with producer Aditya Ram, and received by producer Kannan Ravi. Napoleon also thanked director Pandiarajan for coming. The two have been close since 1994, he said, when they flew to Manila together to launch Sun TV’s live broadcast.

The director’s own story goes back to childhood. At nine, Thanjai JPR said, he projected scraps of old film onto a wall using sunlight. He later produced and directed a film called Oonaigal Jaakirathai before family circumstances took him to America, where he kept writing scripts so he would not lose touch with cinema. When he finally pitched Napoleon a story, the actor loved it, but said he could not leave Dhanush to go and act in India. Could a film be made in America instead? Over lunch, Napoleon showed him the house he had just bought, a three-and-a-half-acre property among the trees that looked like something out of a Hollywood film, and asked if a story could be built around it. A week later, JPR came back with one. Napoleon’s only condition was that it should not be a routine horror film; it had to have comedy. Napoleon, Gunal and Dhanush then worked on the screenplay with him.

The guests spent much of the evening on Napoleon himself. Nassar said their friendship began on Kizhakkum Merkum more than 30 years ago, when the two spent about 30 days together. “However he is now, he was exactly that way then. He is living the life he planned back then, and that makes me proud.” Hard work can make you a millionaire or a superstar, Nassar said, but whenever people bless Napoleon, they add the word nalla, good, before his name, “and that is not given to everyone.” When Nassar’s son was in an accident, it was Napoleon who comforted him the most. As president of the South Indian Artistes’ Association, Nassar thanked him for coming forward, without anyone asking, to deposit Rs 1 crore towards the association’s building. He also thought America Aavi could fill a gap. “Films for children barely exist in India,” he said, and asked children to bring their parents to this one.

Roja, who acted with Napoleon in V Sekar’s Veettoda Mappillai, called him a good artist, a good politician, a good businessman, a good father and above all a good man. She is returning to films herself after 12 years, and said she was delighted to see her former co-star on screen again after so long. She urged everyone to spread the word, on social media and by mouth. “My daughter and I are both scared of ghost films,” she added. “But we watched this one and enjoyed it.”

FEFSI president RK Selvamani, who has seen the film, said it would feel like watching My Dear Kuttichathan in a theatre. “Introducing one newcomer in a film is easy. Introducing an entire cast of newcomers and teaching every one of them to act is the hardest job in the world.” He singled out a song sequence where the whole cast danced in rhythm, thanking choreographer Kala for it, and revealed that the heroine is a doctor whose house in America doubled as a location. The crew would wait until she was free from work to shoot her scenes. Napoleon, he said, does every job properly, whether as an actor, a politician or an office-bearer of the actors’ association.

Producer T Siva, who also has seen it, called it an entertaining, commercial film. He remembered Napoleon working like a soldier for the actors’ association when he was its vice-president, and said Napoleon had made the first donation towards the FEFSI building. The industry should hold a felicitation just for him, Siva said. “In my career I have seen two good men. One is Vijayakanth. The other is Napoleon.”

Director RV Udhayakumar had the best story of the night. He was directing Urudhi Mozhi when cinematographer Ravi Yadav introduced him to a tall, thin young man: “This is Kumaresan.” Udhayakumar promised him then that he would make him a big villain, and later cast him in Ejamaan. It took a fight. “Even Rajini sir said no,” he said. Once Udhayakumar explained why Napoleon should play the role, Rajinikanth found the idea fresh and agreed, and Udhayakumar reworked parts of the story for him. Napoleon’s wedding-house line from that film is still quoted today. Then Udhayakumar turned to the title. Nobody had said who the aavi actually is, he pointed out, and on the poster Napoleon looks like Clint Eastwood. “We have heard of old ghosts, good ghosts, bad ghosts, young ghosts, ghosts who died in accidents, ghosts who failed in love, ghosts who died without being able to buy a house. I don’t know which one the America Aavi is. Whichever it is, Napoleon will show us a special one.”

Kala, a family friend of 30 years, said only three songs had been screened and there were more in the film. Napoleon had donated to the dance choreographers’ union too, she said, and his wife Sudha was as good a person as he is. “This is not really a ghost film. It is a beautiful family film.” Lyricist Snehan said he felt about Napoleon the way one feels about a brother, and composer Aadhish Uthriyan called the film, which has five songs, a milestone in his career.

The newcomers had their say too. Mahesh, one of the debutants, said Napoleon asked everyone to show up in costume one January day. “We all thought it was an audition. He said, there is no audition for you, you are acting.” Napoleon then taught them to act, performing scenes himself to show them how. Mahesh’s own mother plays Napoleon’s mother in the film. Cinematographer Prabhu, whose full name is Prabhu Thoppudu Amaresan, thanked his grandfather TS Amaresan, who directed RS Manohar’s stage plays. He had once shared a room in Chennai with cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa, and after moving to America began filming small events, including Napoleon’s family functions and Dhanush’s wedding in Japan. Napoleon, he said, had polished him step by step and has now introduced him as a cinematographer.

America Aavi is set for a worldwide theatrical release soon.