Prabhudeva, Vadivelu battle zombies on a volcano in 'Bang Bang'

The hit hero-comedian jodi of ‘90s, Prabhudeva and Vadivelu, is teaming up on screen after 22 years with Bang Bang , a zombie film directed by Sam Rodrigues.

“I started with the intention of creating a zombie universe and wanted characters who share an already established friendship. I felt the Prabhudeva master and Vadivelu combo would make it offbeat... I mean, imagine Vadivelu killing zombies!” starts off the filmmaker, who shares exclusive details about the project with us.

The last time Prabhudeva and Vadivelu shared screen space was in the 2004 comedy entertainer Engal Anna, though the comedian played memorable roles in the choreographer-actor’s directorials Pokkiri (2007) and Villu (2009). Talking about the return of the iconic combo, Sam says, “Just like how Madras is an emotion for us, these two are an emotion for us, especially for those who have lived in the ’90s. They are now back after 22 years, so it was exciting for me.”

He shares that he initially pitched the one-line to the two actors and later tailored the script to their characteristics. On working with the duo on set, he says, “They still have the vibe that they shared in the ’90s; in fact, they speak to each other like a couple of college students.”

Given that Prabhudeva and Vadivelu have featured in memorable dance numbers like Oorvasi Oorvasi , Petta Rap and Romeo Aattam Pottaal , Sam informs that Bang Bang will have a song that’s dedicated to them. “I felt the fans will definitely expect something of this sort in this reunion. Yuvan sir (composer Yuvan Shankar Raja) has come up with a vera level song along with a fantastic soundscape for the film... very new age, with a lot of electronic, rap, and heavy metal music,” he shares.

However, the director stresses that this is not a zombie comedy. “Yes, there is a lot of comedy, but the film will have other emotions as well. In addition to the two stars, the film also features Babloo Prithviraj, who plays the villain’s role.

Interestingly, the film is being shot almost entirely in Indonesia, and near a volcano! “I needed a volcano as the landscape for my film and was initially planning to cheat and shoot here. But our producer Kanna Ravi said that since there’s a live volcano in Indonesia, we could shoot there instead and make it authentic. We shot at the Bromo volcano, which is an active volcano. Most of the volcano visuals, except for shots of the flowing lava (seen in the first look video) were shot on location,” he says.

Given that this is a zombie film, the team has roped in a line production team from Indonesia. “We have outsourced the stunts and makeup, which we are doing 90% live rather than use CG,” says Sam, who reveals that this film will launch a zombie universe, and the makers also have a web series and merchandising plans on this concept.

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