Popular director Kasthuri Raja has cast kids from slums here in his upcoming Tamil-Malayalam bilingual "Kaasu Panam Dhuttu", which is based on the life of shanty dwellers.
"It's a film about the life of slum dwellers and therefore I have cast few kids from the slums in Chennai to make it as realistic as possible. Who else can play slum dwellers better than those who have been living in slums," Kasthuri Raja asked while speaking to IANS.
"These kids don't have to be taught how to act. They have lived in the slums and they can literally live in the characters as well. After extensive research on the lives of slum-dwellers, I picked most of these kids," he added.
The film features Mithran, Suyesha Sawant and Sania in the lead roles.
"The story highlights how circumstances push several teenagers from the slums to turn into criminals to earn a livelihood. The lead cast has very important part to play in the film," said the director, known for films such as "En Rasavin Manasile" and "Thulluvadho Ilammai".
"Kaasu Panam Dhuttu", which went on floors recently, has music by Sajid, who is an associate of Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman.