The Tamil film, Koozhangal was India’s official entry to the 94th Academy Awards, beating Sherni, Sardar Udham, Mandela, and Nayattu. However, Koozhangal, slated to hit the big screens in December, is out of the race for Oscars, but still worth a watch! And here are a few things you should know about this brilliant film. 

1. The film follows the journey of a man and his son, over half a day as they make their way towards the his estranged wife’s house. But the journey is more than that as they travel through harsh terrains, in the burning heat with no water in sight, bringing to light the reality of rural Tamil Nadu. 

2. It is the debut feature of director PS Vinothraj and is inspired by his sister’s journey, when she was asked to leave her house by her husband, and trekked 13 kilometres to reach her village.

3. Koozhangal, also known as Pebbles, is the first production of Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan under the Rowdy Pictures banner. The two decided to back the film after it was shot halfway with the support of Learn and Teach Production. 

4. The film was shot in Arittapati, near Melur in Madurai, in a span of 30 days, where they only shoot from 10am to 3pm as sunlight was crucial to the storyline. 

5. The film has already received the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s top honour, The Tiger Award making it the second Indian film to ever be given this award. 

6. Both the leads, Chellapandi and Karuththadaiyaan are newcomers in the industry. And Koozhangal has been a brilliant start to their careers. 

All images are screenshots from the trailer.