Cheran's next is an urban romance

Cheran's films like Pokalam, Pandavan Bhoomi, Autograph and Thavamai Thavamirundu are testimony to his being a Tamil filmmaker with a difference.

And all his films are rooted to the soil he is from: Rural Tamil Nadu.

But his own production house, the Dream Theatres banner which had earlier made Autograph, is now making an urban love story, a total deviation from what he has been doing so far. Perhaps in tune with the demands of the young urban multiplex audience.

Alaga Irikirai, Bayamai Irukkiradhu -- or AIBI -- is the film in question, which Cheran has produced.

Vijay Milton -- known as a cinematographer, Tamil author and poet -- has taken over the direction and cinematography departments. AIBI is Milton's debut film as a director.

The current sensation Bharath -- after his sterling performance in Vishnuvardhan's Pattiyal -- is the hero of AIBI. Mallika Kapur, a model from Mumbai, is the heroine. She made her debut in Vinayan's Malayalam film Albhuthadweep, opposite Prithviraj.

Bharath gets a complete makeover in AIBI. In his last two successful films, he was very deglamourised. In Kadhal, he was an uneducated motor mechanic, and in Pattiyal, he played a street orphan. But in AIBI, he is a suave, rich city-bred young man. Perhaps for the first time, Bharath could act his age and be himself on screen -- after, of course, his debut film Boys.

The soundtrack album of AIBI -- with music by Yuvan Shankar Raja -- was released on March 25. At the launch, Cheran said, "Vijay Milton's father had this dream of directing a film but he could not realise his dream." True to the name of his production house, Dream Theaters, Cheran helped Vijay Milton realise his father's dream through his son. "I cannot help everyone but I am sure I can help a few," Cheran said.

Interestingly, out of the six songs, five are sung by Yuvan himself, and one by Karthik.

The film will release on April 14, along with Gowtham Menon's Vettayadu Vilayadu with Kamal Haasan and Susi Ganesan's Thiruttu Payale.

Cheran is confident that this love story of two youngsters will attract college goers in large numbers to the theatres during the summer vacation.