The Bad Boys of 6ne Maili

The suspense thriller 6ne Maili is all set to the hit the theatres next week, and as we gear up for it, the tale’s villains speak to us about their experiences on set, the detailing that has gone into their roles, the myriad shades of grey in their characters, and more. Excerpts:
It’s all in the details
A lot of background work has gone into these characters.Director See Ni has etched out the traits of each of the roles, leaving no stone unturned. For instance, Hemanth Sushil, who plays Purshi, a cook at a street-side cart, actually went for training and learnt how to finely chop onions at super speed. Not only that, a custom-made look was created for each character. “The director said that we have to try out a new look, change hairstyles, etc. We’ve even tried out two different contact lenses for eye colour,” says Hemanth. So elaborate was the makeup that most of them did not resemble their real selves.
Hemanth, is one such example
“Once, when I was getting out of the caravan, I scared the music director, Sai Kiran sir’s wife. She took one look at me and jumped back,” he laughs and adds, “My character has different shades — he has one persona at night when compared to what he is like during the day. What that difference is,unfolds through the narrative.’ Vikas Vasishta, who plays Ajith, says, “What you see in the first half is so different from the second half. That is this film’s USP.”
The humane side of villains
Everything onscreen is not only about establishing the villainous nature of the baddies in the tale. Their humane side and the shades of grey that these characters have, have also been explored. “I have worked in Naxalite areas before I got into movies. I have been in areas where they protested against the suicides of farmers. So, when See Ni sir approached me with this story, I felt that somewhere it is all connected,” adds Nagraj Pattar, who plays Ayappa.
Shooting for 6ne Maili was a thrilling experience in itself. Off-screen, these bad boys’ had cautious and anxious demeanours, quite different from their roles. They often huddled together with the rest of the crew and made sure they did not venture out alone. “The director and the cinematographer had meticulously chosen the locations. The night shoots were a different experience,” says Madhu Shankar, who plays Jaggi. “At our shooting location, there were only solitary residences, all far apart from each other, and there was no mobile network,” he adds. “There was hardly any light in the jungle, and there were scorpions scurrying around. The villagers used to guide us,” says Gokul Chakravarthy, who plays Appanna in the movie. “There are numerous twists and turns in the story,” adds Shobhan Babu, who plays Pammi. Given that the movie is a thriller, these actors naturally don’t want to delve into too many details. Though they are an ensemble cast there is a strong logic that runs through the screenplay for these characters. “At no point will anything feel out of place, or that something has been left out,” Shobhan assures.