Modha Rathri may begin with the awkwardness and chaos of an arranged marriage gone wrong, but beneath its rural humour is a story about two strangers grappling with circumstances neither of them expected. For debutant director Raja Karuppasamy, however, the emotional journey of making the film appears to have extended well beyond what audiences eventually saw on screen.
Starring Rishikanth and Anishma Anilkumar in the lead roles, Modha Rathri arrived in theatres on August 21 and subsequently premiered on Netflix on September 18. The film has continued to find an audience on OTT, with appreciation from prominent names including Dhanush, Silambarasan and Kamal Haasan adding to the attention around the film.
Karuppasamy has now offered a glimpse into the more personal side of the production, particularly the experience of filming the climax with Anishma. In a lengthy Instagram note, the filmmaker recalled how emotionally exhausting the sequence proved to be for both of them, revealing that they were left in tears after the cameras stopped rolling.
“Should I say Thank You or should I say Sorry?” Karuppasamy began, admitting that neither phrase seemed adequate to convey what Anishma had brought to the film. He specifically mentioned her dance, the final scream and the emotional release that follows the climax, noting that what may appear to audiences as individual moments were considerably more intense for the people who lived through their creation.
‘We didn’t even know whether you had to console me’
The director’s most striking recollection concerned what happened immediately after the climax was filmed. “I still remember after the climax, both of us were crying… We didn’t even know whether you had to console me or I had to console you,” he wrote.
For Karuppasamy, the moment became a reflection of Anishma’s commitment to Muthuselvi, the character she portrays in Modha Rathri. He praised the actor for immersing herself so completely in the role that the emotional demands of the sequence appeared to spill over even after the scene had been completed.
His note also went beyond her work in front of the camera. Karuppasamy described Anishma as one of the most dedicated artists he has worked with and spoke about the support she extended to him and his team throughout the making of the film. He credited her with offering the same warmth off camera, particularly during difficult moments when some people close to him were unable to provide that support.
The filmmaker ultimately thanked Anishma for “giving your soul and life” to Muthuselvi, a sentiment that offers an insight into how deeply he associates her performance with the film’s emotional centre.
Modha Rathri follows two strangers who enter into an arranged marriage despite neither of them wanting the union. A confession on their wedding night sets off a chain of events that takes them away from the expected celebrations and plunges both families into confusion and chaos. While the premise allows the film to explore its comic side, its characters are also forced to confront vulnerability, disappointment and the consequences of decisions made in a moment of emotional turmoil.
For a first-time filmmaker, the response to Modha Rathri has therefore brought more than the satisfaction of seeing his film reach audiences. Karuppasamy’s latest note suggests that some of its most difficult moments remain deeply personal memories, particularly the climax that left both its director and leading actor struggling to hold back their emotions.
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