I hope to break my image as a comedy actor

A patriarch's death shocks his family, not for his sudden departure, but for leaving behind an attention-seeking quandary under his pants, a death erection.

- NARAYANI M

Director Ilango Ram's 2023 Sinhalese drama Tentigo (Nelum Kuluna in Sinhalese) is based on this quirky one-liner which has now been remade into Tamil as Perusu, starring Vaibhav and Niharika NM, among others.

On adapting the film to suit Tamil cinema sensibilities, Ilango Ram says, "I am always particular about the setting in my films—be it the people residing in the area or the way they conduct their weddings and festivals. If you look at Tentigo, the film reflects the people and their livelihood. It is only in India that you see a significant cultural difference between every state. Keeping this in mind, we worked intensely to bring a comedic flavour that would connect with the audience."

Dealing with a sensitive topic, the filmmaker had to strike the perfect balance to make it entertaining and not exploit the premise for shock value. "On one hand we can't make scenes in a way that would make the audience grimace. At the same time, playing it safe wasn't an option either. I wanted both my parents and the actors' parents to enjoy Perusu," he admits.

However, the awkwardness was palpable on sets, and it took some time before the actors got comfortable.

Niharika NM, who gained fame as a social media creator before entering films, shares, "It is indeed a taboo topic, but Ilango sir has made it very tastefully. I feel it is necessary to tackle such themes in a slightly comedic way."