Chennai, Apr 5 (IANS): Director Francis Markus says the forthcoming Tamil romantic family drama "Oyee" was originally written and pitched for actor Sivakarthikeyan, who could not be a part of the project due to lack of dates.

"I had approached Sivakarthikeyan with the story, but he was already committed to a project so he couldn't be a part of this project. We had approached another leading hero, but we were faced with a similar fate," Markus told IANS.

The film, which is slated for release on Friday, stars Geethan Britto and Eesha in the lead roles.

"It's a story along the lines of 'Thevar Megan', with focus on the bond between a father and son. Set against a rural backdrop, the film has a very strong role for the heroine, and this could be even called a heroine-centric film," he said.

The story also has a Silambam (a weapon-based Indian martial arts form) connect.

"Geethan underwent training in Silambam for nearly a month before we went on the floors," said Markus, assuring that the film will appeal to the audiences across all sections.

The film, which has music by maestro Ilayaraja, was shot non-stop for 40 days in Pollachi.