Chennai, Apr 1 (IANS): An increasing number of films is being shot at picturesque international locales, but the unit of upcoming Tamil thriller "Netru Indru" shot the movie in uninhospitable forests of Tamil Nadu and on edges of bordering states. The director admits it was challenging.

"It's a suspense-thriller shot completely in the forests of Tamil Nadu and several other places. The story revolves around characters in a forest and events happening around them. What we have done in this film is different. We have done away with romance or sentiment to ensure the film remains a true thriller at heart," director Padma Magan told IANS.

"The film draws a parallel between events happened in the past and ones that are currently happening in the forest. I think the biggest highlight of the film would be the narrative, which I think is unique in Tamil cinema," he added.

The film was shot in places such as Malabar Coast, south Deccan plateaus, Western Ghats mountain rain forests, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry.

The film features Vimal, Prasanna Venkatesan, Richard, Nandhagi and Arundhati.

What was challenging in shooting in the forests?

"While one of the challenges could be the changing weather, we also had problems with the lighting for filming. Most of the time it was dark, and we had to wait for some light. When we couldn't have the appropriate lighting, we opted for artificial light to complete a particular scene," he said.

Produced by S. Malathy, the film is likely to release early May.