Love Oh Love Sends Pavish Out Under the Family Name

Pavish carries one of Tamil cinema’s heaviest surnames, and Love Oh Love does not pretend otherwise. The youngest son of Kasthuri Raja and younger brother to Dhanush and Selvaraghavan, he fronts this youthful romance, and at the trailer and audio launch in Chennai the family was very much in the room. His father spoke, his brother Selvaraghavan is in the cast, and the advice handed down was the same one Kasthuri Raja gave Dhanush after his first hit: whatever happens, stay punctual and respect the producers and directors who trust you.

Written and directed by Magesh Rajendran, the film pairs Pavish with Naga Durga and sets a contemporary take on relationships against vibrant music. It is produced by Dinesh Raj and G. Dhananjayan under the Zinema Media & Entertainment and Creative Entertainers & Distribution banners, with a deep supporting cast that includes Selvaraghavan, K.S. Ravikumar, Vanitha Vijayakumar, Ramya and Adithya Kathir. Foxn scores, P.G. Muthiah handles the camera and N.B. Srikanth edits.

Pavish kept his thanks pointed, crediting Dhanush for the steady backing through his early career and singling out K.S. Ravikumar for the acting nuances he picked up sharing the screen with him. The veterans who spoke pushed him gently in the same direction: Subramanian Siva said that while the Dhanush comparison is inevitable, Pavish should carve out his own identity rather than walk anyone’s path, and Ravi Mariya backed the legacy while betting on the screen presence to stand on its own.

Much of the launch, though, turned into a tribute to its co-producer’s business sense. Dhananjayan said the team finished the film working day and night against a tight window once Amazon Prime Video came on board, and a line of filmmakers, R.K. Selvamani, Sasi and T. Siva among them, noted how rare it is to lock digital and OTT deals before a release in the current market, and credited him with pulling it off. Kasthuri Raja, Kalaipuli S. Dhanu and R.V. Udhayakumar rounded out the well-wishers, with Vanitha Vijayakumar, back in the spotlight after a long gap, saying the album had her genuinely excited to see the film.

Love Oh Love, made on a modest budget and pitched as a colourful entertainer with a message under it, reaches theatres worldwide on July 10. For Pavish, the surname opened the door; the film is his chance to show what he does once he is through it.