JOIN USTamil Nadu in general, and Kollywood in particular, are in for a crisis this Pongal. But there are very few to complain, as it would only leave the audience in a confusion over which film to watch first. For, three mega-budget movies, starring three top stars of Kollywood — Rajinikanth, Ajith and Vijay — are set to hit the screens this harvest festival.
Thalaiva’s Kochadaiyaan, Thalai’s Veeram and Thalapathi’s Jilla are gearing up to see the light of day. Makers of all these projects have officially announced that they will release their respective films at the same time, creating a buzz in the industry.
“The first day of Tamil month — Thai, which is celebrated as Pongal, always sees a handful of movies getting released. But for the first time, the films of Rajini, Ajith and Vijay, the three actors who have a huge fan following in Tamil Nadu, are hitting the screens simultaneously. While theatre owners are clueless about which movie to screen, audience would be spoilt for choice,” says C S Sundar, a film analyst with nearly 25 years of experience.
He adds: “While Ajith and Vijay have a dedicated clan of fans, who often clash with each other, Rajini films are watched by both Vijay and Ajith fans, apart from the Superstar’s own fanatics. Besides, there is the general audience who would love to watch all the three movies. So, it will be an interesting confusion this Pongal.”
Meanwhile, there are people in the trade who believe that at least one of them will backtrack in the last moment due to the unavailability of theatres. “Even in that case, there is no doubt about celebrations and collections, as the remaining two films will attract the audience to cinema halls,” they opine. However, here is a sneak peek into all the three films.
Highlights
Kochadaiyaan, directed by the Superstar’s younger daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth Ashwin, is being touted as the first film in India to be completely made using performance-capturing technology. Rajini plays a dual role — that of a king and a commander — in this movie, which has Deepika Padukone, Sarathkumar, Jackie Shroff, Nasser, Shobana, Aadhi and Rukmini in key roles.
K S Ravikumar, who gave two blockbusters (Muthu and Padayappa) for Rajini, is in-charge of the story, screenplay and dialogues, while A R Rahman takes care of music.“Kochadaiyaan will be a treat to appa’s fans. They will get to see vintage Rajini. We are happy to present performance-capturing technology to Indian cinema with this movie,” says Soundarya, who sounds optimistic about her maiden directorial venture.
Veeram, Ajith’s 53rd film, has him playing the role of Vinayakam, the elder brother of four youngsters. Set in a village, the movie features Ajith in his popular salt-and-pepper look. Shiva of Siruthai fame is helming this flick, which is produced by the reputed Vijaya Productions to mark the centenary year of its founder — late B Nagi Reddy.
Tamannah is the leading lady of Veeram, which has music by Devi Sri Prasad. A teaser trailer of the film is already a hit on the Internet.
Treat for fans
According to Shiva, Veeram will not be a feast for Ajith fans only, but to every movie-goer. “There are no punch lines, but each and every dialogue of Ajith will have a huge impact. Unmindful of the risks involved, Ajith has performed many pulsating stunt sequences for the film,” he says.
Vijay’s Jilla has Malayalam top star Mohanlal in a pivotal role. Directed by Neason, the movie, whose backdrop is Madurai, stars Vijay as a police officer. Kajal Aggarwal is the heroine, and the buzz is that she plays a cop. Mankatha-fame Mahat Raghavendra is Vijay’s younger brother in the movie.
D Imman’s music is said to be one of the highlights of the movie. Neason says, “I thought that it would be a task to work with two top stars. But I found Vijay and Mohanlal very co-operative. They are thorough professionals. I can say the film will be a complete entertainer for all ages and all sections of the audience.”
Three is a crowd, they say. And this crowd is expected to keep Tamil cinema healthy as the cash registers are set to ring loud.