Every seven years, when July rolls around, people start dying in Makerai. No witnesses. No evidence. No pattern that makes sense to outsiders. That’s the premise behind The Dark Heaven, a Tamil crime thriller that draws from folk tradition to build its central mystery.
Director Balaaji, who also produces the film, has taken a naattar kathai, one of those local legends that travel through generations by word of mouth in rural Tamil Nadu, and shaped it into a police procedural. A cop gets posted to this remote hill village and has to make sense of killings that leave nothing for him to work with.
“The film revolves around serial killings that happen without leaving any traces,” Balaaji says. “It’s really about how this police officer handles something that seems impossible to crack.”
Sidhu Sid takes the lead as the investigating officer, with Bigg Boss fame Tharshika playing the female lead. The supporting cast brings in some familiar faces. Nizhalgal Ravi and Vela Ramamoorthy add weight to the ensemble, while comedian Chaplin Balu appears in what’s described as a departure from his usual comedic roles. Ritwika, Arul Jothi, and Jayakumar Janakiraman round out the cast.
The production shot across a string of locations in the south: Vandiperiyar, Achankovil, Thenmalai, Yercaud, Pathukani, Tenkasi, and Mukkoodal. For a film built around an isolated hill village, the rugged terrain of these locations should serve the atmosphere well. Cinematographer Manikandan PK, who also shot Balaaji’s debut, returns behind the camera. Raja Arumugam handles editing, while Sakthi Balaji, who composed the score for Jackie, takes care of the music.
Shooting is complete, dubbing has begun, and the film is in its final stages of post-production. The Dark Heaven releases worldwide on April 3.