Pa Ranjith: Mayilaa celebrates the resilience and spirit of women

Ranjith, who serves as a presenter for the film, talked about it this Women's Day

Earlier, we reported about filmmaker Pa Ranjith turning presenter for Mayilaa, which marks actor Semmalar Annam's first film as a director. The film features actors such as Shudar Kodi, Melodi Dorcas, Geetha Kailasam, and Sathya Maruthani. Earlier this Sunday, Ranjith shared a new glimpse video from the film, marking the occasion of International Women's Day. The video shows a group of women singing a folk song and having a good time at the back of a moving vehicle. Sharing the new teaser for the film, Ranjith called it a celebration of "the resilience and spirit of women this Women’s Day".

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Earlier, while announcing the film, the writer-director said that it "stunned" him. Calling it his honour to present the film, he wrote that it is a "simple visualisation of a complex working class woman’s life" and is "powered by performances from Melodi Dorcas, Shudar and the entire cast along with the film’s technical proficiency."

The film, hailing from the production banner Newton Cinema, has cinematographer Vinoth Janakiraman, editor A Sreekar Prasad, and sound designer Anand Krishnamoorthi. According to the makers, it is a dramedy that delves into a "journey of courage, love, and self-liberation" between a woman (Melodi Dorcas) and her daughter (Shudar). In a recent interview with The Hindu, Semmalar Annam said that she has drawn inspiration from her late grandmother's life for the film and that the title is named after the latter.

The film had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year, where it received a NETPAC Award nomination.

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