The latest film trailer to grip Kollywood is Rocky directed by debutant Arun Matheswaran. Starring Taramani fame Vasanth Ravi and veteran director Bharathiraja in the lead, the film is produced by CR Manoj Kumar of RA Studios.
With stunning visuals by DoP Shreeyas Krishna, who previously worked in Jil Jung Juk and Aval, the trailer begins with a pregnant woman standing alone on the beach, her clothes fluttering in the wind. There are plenty of wide frames and Bharathiraja, wearing cool shades, is seen idling in one of the earliest shots while Vasanth Ravi’s face is shown almost after a minute.
Vasanth’s voiceover talks about time in this refrain: ‘Kaalam oru dhrogi, padu paavi, pisnari. Neram oru noi, prabanjam soozhum poi,” that translates into “Time is a traitor, bloody sinner, the ultimate miser. Time is a disease, and the entire world is infected by time’s swirling lies.” This narrative has a poetic tone to it, with the first line repeating itself as the trailer progresses.
The visuals too are poetically composed. The violet-lit corridors in one frame look video-game like while a violent attack is underway. In one shot we watch as Vasanth’s character stands surrounded by water, with the sun blazing above and a small patch of land to one side he looks into a mirror at his reflection. The vertical (mirror) and the horizontal (water) reflecting surfaces are surrounded by the cloudy sky in this interesting frame. Is it from a dream?
If there’s a heavier and a deeper undertone to the narrator’s verse, the visuals present a bestial story, becoming unbearable to watch towards the end. The sound effects elevate the anticipation for what’s in store in this brilliantly cut trailer. As the refrain is heard one last time, Vasanth Ravi’s character is seen walking past shuttered shops while Bharathiraja’s character screams the name ‘Rocky’ and wails uncontrollably, banging on a metal grill.
The film is expected to release this November.
Watch: