Kollywood reloaded

The mood in Kollywood is upbeat. Last year was good — of the 204 films released, as many as 19 were profitable at the box office. The year-end releases Bhooloham and Pasanga-2 did well too, and the stage is set for the 125 films that are waiting for theatrical release. Six have been released so far, this year, with at least two releases planned for next week. And then, the Pongal weekend — the first big weekend of the year — will see four reasonably big films clashing. In all, by the second weekend of January, we’d have seen 15 films releasing in 15 days.

Even veteran producers, who had taken a sabbatical from production, are now returning to the industry. P. L. Thenappan is commencing work on his new film, Peranbu , this week, after a three-year break. The film, directed by Ram ( Thanga Meenkal ), will also mark Mammootty’s return to Tamil cinema after years. The industry is also pulsating with rumours about exciting collaborations — Gautham Menon and Selvaraghavan teaming up (creatively and as producers) for a film that will star S. J. Surya; Malayalam writer-director Anjali Menon discussing a film with Revathy… The biggest news, of course, is Shankar all set to make Enthiran’s sequel, 2.0, with Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, and Amy Jackson. Meanwhile, there’s more emphasis on quality content than ever. Mohan Raja, who made last year’s superhit, Thani Oruvan , says, “A star may bring an opening, but if a film has to sustain for more than three days, the content has to be good.

Today, more than ever before, the script is crucial. And that’s why I stopped doing remakes. I realised that the audience now prefers to see something new within the commercial format.” Even the very business of Tamil cinema is changing. The number of screens has increased, as newer multiplexes have come up; several single screens have also been renovated, and more screens added. Exhibitors like Vettri in Chrompet and Ram Muthuram in Tirunelveli have also managed to create a fan base on social media. They are the first theatres in the State to share their collections by tweeting about them. As on January 1, Tamil Nadu has a total of 1,162 screens, and according to trade sources, by the end of the year, this number will increase by at least 200. This augurs really well for Tamil cinema, as the demand for content will rise, resulting in directors experimenting with their films. A case in point is Jayam Ravi’s next release, Miruthan , which is Tamil cinema’s first zombie film. After seeing the trailer, the impressed distributors have secured rights for all areas, and even the satellite rights have been sold.

2016 is a crucial year for Tamil cinema in more ways than one. The State Assembly elections are to take place in May. The close association between politics and cinema in Tamil Nadu is all too well-known. Ruling governments, over the years, have kept the film industry on a tight leash, and the way films are made and marketed are often influenced. For now though, it appears that exciting times are in store for Tamil cinema fans. Big films that will be released this year include Rajinikanth’s Kabali , Vijay’s Theri , Suriya’s 24 , Dhanush’s Prabhu Solomon-directed untitled film, Bala’s Tharai Thappattai and Vetrimaaran’s Visaranai . You can’t ask for more.