Chennai, Jan 15 (IANS): Director M.S. Anand's forthcoming drama "Yazh", about the forgotten culture of Tamils in Sri Lanka, will be a trendsetter as the film's cast and crew comprises actors and technicians from the island nation.

"I thought it would make sense to cast Sri Lankan actors in a story about Sri Lankan Tamil culture. I wanted actors already aware of the culture, tradition and language," Anand told IANS.

"I believe this is the first time that a Tamil film will feature Sri Lankan actors. A romantic thriller, 'Yazh' has been completely shot there.

"It's about the forgotten culture of Tamil people in Sri Lanka. All the dialogues and lyrics will be in Tamil," added the director, who is based in Australia.

Known for his pathbreaking short films, Anand struggled for many years to make "Yazh".

"My story revolves around a few characters during the last stages of a war. I spent nearly four years researching and getting my facts right. It wasn't an easy task as it required a lot of ground work before actually shooting it," he said.

Sri Lankan actors like Vinod, Sashi, Misha, Leema Babu and Rakshana play important characters in the film.