'Su..Su..Sudhi Vathmeekam' is a feel-good movie, says director Ranjith Sankar. It reaches theatres today.

Director Ranjith Sankar writes in his blog that it took him 15 years to tell the story of Sudhi. When the story finally reaches the theatres as Su… Su… Sudhi Vathmeekam, he is happy that the wait has ended. The movie is about Sudhi (Jayasurya), who has a stammer [hence, the title; Vathmeekam is the name of Sudhi’s house]. How Sudhi copes with his speech impairment at different phases in his life forms the narrative.
“It is inspired by the life of my friend and colleague, Sudheendran. It was in 2000 that I thought of making a movie about an individual who stutters. Around the same time I got the thread for Passenger [his debut movie], which, I felt, would be more exciting for the audience. Soon I got busy with one project after the other. However, the story of Sudhi remained in my mind. In between, Sudheendran shifted to Bengaluru and his struggles continued. But when I met him again I was pleasantly surprised to see the changes in him. He had become more confident and thus my story got a new angle. Actually, it was meant to be a love story but Sudheendran’s journey gave it a new dimension. Once I finished Varsham, I felt confident about making the movie. The theme was new and I thought it was the right time to bring it to the audience,” says Ranjith.
Although the trailers indicate that the film is a comedy, Ranjith says that the flick is not a laugh riot. “It is a feel-good movie, which will bring a smile on every face. In fact, after working on Varsham, which was a very intense movie, Su..Su.. was a totally refreshing experience. I wanted to make a love story after Varsham because I hadn’t tried that genre before. However, a few love stories released around the same time and finally Sudhi’s story got a chance,” he says.
As a filmmaker, he believes in pushing the envelope. Having already dabbled in a variety of themes, dealing with stutter in Su..Su.. was quite tough, he says. “There have been movies where this kind of speech impairment has been shown in a comic manner. But has anyone paused to wonder how difficult it must be for people who stammer? How they feel when they aren’t able to express even simplest of words and sentences?” he asks.
The director teams up with Jayasurya once again after working with him in Punyalan Agarbathis. “I opted for him due to many reasons. First of all Sudhi had look convincing on screen. At the same time, the character demanded a skilled actor. Above all, he should be able to dedicate a lot of time for this film. And Jayan [Jayasurya] fit all these conditions to a T. He spent 40 to 45 days just for the movie. He worked hard to bring in the subtle emotions and body language of Sudhi as he grows from his 20s to his 40s,” says Ranjith, who has co-produced the movie with Jayasurya under the banner under Dreams N Beyond..
Ranjith has cast many newcomers in the movie, including one of the female leads, Swathy.
Other artistes are Aju Varghese, Shivada, Mukesh, Anson Paul, Sunil Sugatha, Irshad, and Muthumani, among others. While Jayasurya’s son Advaith essays Sudhi’s childhood, his wife, Saritha, is the costume designer.
Ranjith’s daughter Tara has played a role in the movie. Music is by Bijibal.