Locations in Europe: Switzerland
Storyline
Star(s): Asin Thottumkal, Suriya, Nayantara
Songs/Dance/Action Sequences: Located in Switzerland.
Indian/ International Crew: Mostly Indian crew.
Language: Tamil
Line Producer: Ravi Barnabas
Director/Producer Director: AR Murugadoss Producer: Salem Chandrasekharan
Film Location Analysis
By Veena Hariharan
The song “Suttum Vizhi” was shot in Switzerland in The Castle of Gruyeres, Gstaad–the Promenade, and Eglise Romane de Rougemont.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV1W_GYgp7c
The Castle of Gruyeres
[In the medieval town of Gruyeres is the majestic Castle of Gruyeres. Amidst a glorious panorama, this castle served as the residence of the Dukes of Gruyeres in the 13th-century and provides a fascinating insight into 800 years of history, art, and legends. Some great painters decorated the castle walls with historical scenes and picturesque landscapes of the town.]
Gstaad–The Promenade
[Gstaad is a high-end alpine town, with a promenade and exclusive shopping boutiques, expanding into a lazy sprawl of stunning chalets and grand hotels. The few Gstaad chalets are high-end gems that are treasured and meticulously kept year-round by their owners. In winter, friendship lights are set within the eves with the rooves to bring out the beauty from the high-end majestic facades of intricate wood craftsmanship. In summer, balconies are adorned with flowers, and the gardens are manicured with immaculate attention. The Promenade takes on a fairy tale look at night when lit up by the "friendship" lights.]
Eglise Romane de Rougemont
[Eglise Romane de Rougemont is the Church of Rougemont and is quite an asset to this region. Built-in the 11th century by the monks, this Cluny style small church is known for the beauty of its paintings and stained-glass windows.]
This foot-tapping romantic number is a dream sequence when Sanjay thinks about Kalpana and is in love with her.
This dream sequence has an almost fairy tale structure that begins with the prince fleeing the iron gates of the castle, to meet his princess, followed by the church suggesting marriage and divine union (in the film it is more apt because of the circumstances of Kalpana’s murder), and ends with the could-have-been scenario of their love set in the promenade. The song sequence opens with a close-up of the diary that Sanjay now uses as an aide-memoire, having lost his own memories. This cuts to a mid-close of Sanjay singing the opening lines of the song “Suttum Vizhi”. In the next shot we see him running out of the iron gates of the Castle of Gruyeres into the open expanse in the precincts of the castle. He breaks out into a rather machinic dance here while Kalpana appears as if in a dream walking towards him, her face in close-up framed by her hair flying in the wind. In the next shot we see Sanjay singing the lyrics of the song a few paces behind her. The imposing façade of the castle, and trees and iron gates framing the castle are in the background. She also disappears from time to time as in a dream difficult to apprehend or pin down, as Sanjay pursues her down the grey stone-lined passageways leading away from the castle. Several other shots in this song sequence suggest the dream nature of this sequence—in one of the shots, for example, she is seen looking away from him, and into the distance as if she has not yet registered his presence; in another she disappears abruptly and later appears without warning in one of the archways; there are also several close-ups of her eyes (suggesting the dream) and references to her eyes in the lyrics of the song. The next section of the song is intercut with pans of the natural landscape of dried-up trees and branches, and the seasons (and costumes) change as green leaves, and flowers in various colours—yellow, pink, and crimson—appear and form the backdrop or frame close-ups of the lovers. Next, the sequence cuts to the Eglise Romane de Rougemont where close-ups of the different parts of the architecture including the narrow passageways, arches, old stone walls, and wooden facades are mobilised as dynamic backgrounds for the song. The next section of the song bridged by the tram tracks moves into the promenade—there is another change of costume, and the music track is distinctly peppier. The machinic dance gets more aminated and human-like, and takes in the background architecture of the promenade, parks and walkways. Fisheye lenses capture the opening romance in the promenade, making the sequence vibrant and colourful, with the suggestion of the distorted perspectives of dreams. By the end of the sequence, however, we see that the dream is presented from Kalpana’s POV, and we are not sure if it is her dream or a dream within Sanjay’s dream. Sanjay walks towards her in slow motion through a tree-lined avenue, with the church and snowy mountains in the horizon, and later appears to her as almost an apparition, as he takes shape first with colour of his red jeans and then moving up to reveal his entire figure. Finally, Sanjay disappears in her dream, framed by the blue train in the background.
Additional Information & Links
https://m.facebook.com/behindwoods/photos/a.722702937777343/3393522990695311/
Promos:
