In Tamil film, Obama debuts as a demi-god

CHENNAI: There is a little village in Tamil Nadu that shares a special bond with US President Barack Obama, who will arrive on his maiden trip to India on Friday. The people of Kedarapalayam are confident that he’ll be at their temple festival, though only New Delhi and Mumbai feature on Obama’s itinerary. For, they believe he is their saviour and their prayers helped him win the presidential elections in 2008.
Kedarapalayam is a fictitious village that forms the backdrop of national award winner Janaki Vishwanathan’s film, ‘Om Obama’, which will hit the theatres in Tamil Nadu by the year-end.When Janaki came up with her storyline, the Democrat was contesting the Presidential polls.
“I chanced upon an article online that spoke about the crisis the Tirupur garment industry was facing,” says Janaki, whose debut film ‘Kutty’ won her a national award in 2002. “People believed the recession would end if Obama became President. The article quoted a local jokingly saying that businessmen should write 'Om Obama' in their shops instead of 'Om Labham’, which, like 'Shubh Laabh', is inscribed in knitwear units in Tirupur to indicate the auspiciousness of profit,” she says.
The idea took root and Janaki began scripting her film, set in a fictitious village going through an economic crisis.