With The Dark Heaven gearing up for its worldwide theatrical release on September 18, the much-awaited crime thriller has generated considerable interest with its intriguing premise, striking visuals and ensemble cast. Starring Sidhu Sid, Tharshika, Riythvika, Vela Ramamoorthy, Nizhalgal Ravi, Jayakumar Janakiraman, Aroul D Shankar and others, the film is written and directed by Balaaji. The team recently interacted with the press and media at the pre-release event, sharing their experiences of making the film, the challenges involved and their expectations from the audience.
Director Balaaji said, “The Dark Heaven is a film I have waited for a very long time. We started this film with many dreams, but after shooting nearly three-fourths of it, we had to stop and restart the entire process. Mentally, restarting a film after reaching that stage was extremely difficult. I would first like to thank Sharan Gopal sir and my team, who supported me when I was unsure about what to do next. I am also extremely thankful to Sudha sir for giving me the freedom to work without questioning my past. That meant a lot to me and allowed me to work with complete freedom.”
He continued, “Once we restarted The Dark Heaven, nobody in the team discussed what had happened earlier. Everyone focused only on how to make this film better, and we completed it in around seven months. This film taught me an important lesson: when the people around you are right, the place where you work and what you create together also become right.”
“The story was a major challenge for me, and at one point I realised that we had made this film on a very large scale. Everyone in cinema works hard, and I am no exception, but the lack of sleep and the mental and physical exhaustion during this film were particularly challenging. Everyone who worked with me also went through their own struggles. Sudha sir, Dheertha ma’am, Tharshika ma’am and several others have put in tremendous effort. This is not a small team. Kavitha ma’am, Aathira Moorthy sir, Jayakumar sir and N. L. Ravi sir were also part of the shooting but could not be here today because they are currently involved in other work.”
He added, “The Dark Heaven is a thriller centred around a Northern story. I am extremely thankful to Mani for the visuals that you have already seen in the teaser and trailer. We have had occasional disagreements, but they never continued beyond that moment. Perhaps ten per cent of the time, there would be an argument, and that too came only from the frustration of two people who wanted to make the film as good as possible. Mani is a very talented DOP, and I genuinely want his work to receive the appreciation it deserves.”
“Riythvika ma’am brought a completely different colour to this film after she came on board. There are four characters in particular that I have a lot of confidence in, including Paari, Umaiyaal, Kani and another important character. I am confident that Riythvika ma’am’s character will be something audiences will discuss after watching the film. Finally, my team is everything. Without them, this film would not have been possible. I can say that with complete certainty.”
Actress Rithvika said, “September 18 is finally our confirmed release date. We had announced several dates earlier and the film was postponed because of the release of some big films, but The Dark Heaven is now definitely releasing on September 18. I request everyone to support us.”
She continued, “We have seen many crime thrillers where there is a police officer, a masked man and an investigation. But The Dark Heaven does not follow that kind of familiar pattern. It has a very different story world, and I would say the film has far more twists and turns than what you usually expect from a crime thriller.”
“Everyone works hard on every film, but this film involved double the effort because it had already been shot once and we had to shoot it again. We actors performed our portions again, while the technical teams also had to go through the process once more. There were many location challenges as well. As our DOP mentioned, our director would sometimes make all of us travel for nearly three hours for a single shot. There are many such scenes and shots in the film.”
She added, “I also want to mention Sakthi Balaji. I forgot to speak about him during the audio launch. He has done a wonderful job with the music, sounds and sound effects. You would have already noticed that in the trailer, and the songs have also been released.”
“Today, there is a tendency to divide films as theatrical or OTT releases, but I strongly believe that every film should first be experienced in a theatre. You can watch it on OTT when it arrives, but the theatrical experience is something else. The Dark Heaven will definitely offer a good theatrical experience. Please come to the theatres on September 18 and support us.”
Actor Sidhu Sid, who plays police officer Ilamaaran, said, “I am extremely happy to be standing here. I have attended many press meets in this area while working in cinema, but this is my first film as a hero. I have done smaller characters in several films before, so getting an opportunity to lead a film like this is a very big achievement for me. I have to thank director Balaaji for that.”
“He was the one who first called me and narrated this story to me. It was a proper thriller and a cop story. I feel it is very rare for an actor to get such a strong cop story as his first film as a hero. I am very happy that I got this opportunity right at the beginning of my career.”
He continued, “I also love watching thriller films, so this gave me an opportunity to explore many different dimensions as an actor. When we do a thriller, there are many layers in which we can present ourselves as performers. So when I got such a film as my first project as a hero, I was extremely happy and immediately agreed to do it.”
“When Balaaji sir told me about what had happened with the project earlier, I did not want to know about the ending or what had happened before. I only looked at my beginning with this film and how I could utilise this opportunity as a strong start to my career. I did not want to think about anything else. I also had tremendous confidence in his team. This is not a small team. During the shoot, nearly a hundred people were working together. Mani sir has created beautiful visuals, especially considering the difficult locations we worked in. The film has rain, forests and deep forest locations, and these are not easy places to shoot. Mani sir has handled them beautifully. There are many wonderful artistes in this film, including Riythvika ma’am, Tharshika, Nizhalgal Ravi sir, Vela Ramamoorthy sir, Jayakumar sir, Aroul D Shankar and many others. I was very happy to work with all of them, and I learnt a lot from everyone. Every day on this film was a learning experience for me, and I believe it will be very useful for my future films.”
Actress Tharshika said, “The Dark Heaven is my first film, and I personally love thriller films because they keep audiences on the edge of their seats and make them completely involved in the story. I hope The Dark Heaven gives audiences that kind of thrilling experience.”
She added, “The visuals, music, cast and crew have all involved a tremendous amount of hard work. Everyone has put in a lot of effort to make this film. I request everyone to watch The Dark Heaven in theatres on September 18 and give us your honest review. Whatever your feedback is, our team will accept it. We genuinely want audiences to experience the film and tell us what they feel.”
Cinematographer Manikandan BK said, “The Dark Heaven has been a very challenging and rewarding experience for me as a cinematographer. The story demanded a strong visual treatment, and the locations and atmosphere gave us a lot of scope to explore that. Balaaji had a clear vision about how he wanted the film to look, and the entire team worked together to bring that vision to the screen. The performances from the actors, particularly Sidhu Sid and the other members of the cast, added tremendous strength to the visuals. I am very happy with the way the film has shaped up, and I hope audiences enjoy the cinematic experience in theatres.”
Music Director Sakthi Balaji said, “The Dark Heaven is a film that gave me a wonderful opportunity to explore different dimensions through music and sound. Balaaji had a clear understanding of what the film needed, and that made the musical journey very interesting. The performances, the visuals and the atmosphere created by the entire team gave me a lot of inspiration while working on the music. I would like to thank the director, cinematographer, actors and every technician who put in their best efforts for this film. I sincerely hope the songs, music and overall sound experience connect with audiences when they watch The Dark Heaven in theatres.”
The Dark Heaven is written and directed by Balaaji and produced by Kothai Entertainment and MS Swiss Media Factory. The film stars Sidhu Sid and Tharshika, along with Riythvika, Vela Ramamoorthy, Nizhalgal Ravi, Jayakumar Janakiraman, Aroul D Shankar and others. Sakthi Balaji has composed the music, with Manikandan BK handling cinematography and Raja Arumugam handling the editing. Kowshik KS has handled DI, while Space Monk and Dark Box have worked on the VFX. Manoj S is the Production Designer, Senthil Kumari M is the Costume Designer, and Nandhii and Vaishnavi Dheenadhayalan have handled the make-up. Balaaji has penned the dialogues, while Kumar RKS has handled stills and Ottayaa the publicity design. Sakthi Saravanan is the PRO. The film is set for worldwide theatrical release on September 18.