Actor R Madhavan has always shown keen interest in nature and the environment. Pictures of his organically home-grown veggies from his kitchen garden have created a lot of impact among his fans. A few years ago, the star came across a barren piece of land near Pazhani in Tamil Nadu which he decided to rejuvenate and bring to life with a coconut farm. Madhavan, along with his brother Subayogan, worked tirelessly using modern, organic and ancient indigenous methods of agriculture on this farmland and it has brought in the desired results.
The aromatic coconut seedling, which is a non-hybrid variety, was planted and it has now produced coconuts with sweet water and distinctive aroma within three-and-a-half years. Besides the coconut yield, the land has also been restored to its healthy and productive state which is evident from the earthworms and native bird life making a comeback.
Talking about the initiative, Madhavan says, “It has been one of the most satisfying and rewarding experiences of our lives. It was wonderful to see the land rejuvenated. From preparing the land with the right mulch to putting the right fish in the well, every bit of learning has been priceless and so worth it. We will be replicating this in other locations around India and the world.”
While Madhavan is elated over this development, his career in the film industry is thriving as well. Madhavan is currently awaiting the release of Maara, which is in the post-production mode. Maara is directed by debutant Dhilip and it will have Shraddha Srinath playing Madhavan’s lead pair. Interestingly, they had shared the screen space in the hit movie Vikram Vedha. The star cast also includes Sshivada, Moulee, Alexander Babu and Minon.
Though Maara will be Dhilip’s first feature film as a director, he has the well-known short film Kalki to his credit. Ghibran is composing music for Maara, which is touted to be a romantic film with Bhuvan Sreenivasan handling the camera. The film was initially slated for a theatrical release but due to the pandemic, its makers have opted for a digital release. Maara will be out on the OTT platform on December 17 this year.
The star’s other film in the making, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, is aiming for a theatrical release as well. Rocketry - The Nambi Effect is written, produced and directed by R Madhavan. Simran plays the female lead in this flick which is shot simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil and English. The technical crew includes Sam CS for music, Gopi Amarnath for cinematography and Sathish Surya for editing. The star cast includes Bijou Thaangjam, Shahrukh Khan in a cameo appearance in Hindi and English versions, and Surya in a cameo appearance in the Tamil version.
Nambi Narayanan was a rocket scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He was accused of espionage in 1994 and was arrested by the CBI. However, it was proved in 1998 that he was innocent following which the Kerala government settled the case with a compensation of Rs 50 lakh.
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