Dhanush Thiruchitrambalam victory is like Vikram to Kamal Haasan

 

Dhanush box office hit of Thiruchitrambalam is no less significant than that of Kamal Haasan’s Vikram in terms of the revenue and also like Kamal , it was a significant come back of an actor who was written off.  Dhanush fans were angry with the trash that came out on OTT and family audience were angry that he had `divorced’ Superstar’ daughter.

Dhanush slot in the Kollywood sphere was that of a middle class boy next door who spoke the Chennai slang and was an agile street fighter. This took various avatars in different backgrounds and when it started getting into a MASS hero with no story to say, films bombed. It was around that time that Karnan happened and he was back with a double bang. But he cannot have a director like Vetrimaaran and a producer like Thanu to bring him back.

Thiruchitrambalam victory is in many ways a personal triumph for Dhanush. One, it has him in a middle class guy slot and acceptance by audience shows that the post is still remains his. Secondly, he is not doing the street rowdy character who mouths swear words and bashes hundreds of goons. This sober down role has been accepted  by a family audience and this is like having a ` committed’ audience who will see him in such genre of films. Thirdly, the victory will rest squarely on his shoulder and does not have to share it with anybody. Mithran is no Vetrimaaran.

Apart from this, is the realisation of Dhanush about his market range. If sources close to Sun Pictures are to be believed, Dhanush asked for and  was paid only  Rs 15 crore. It was his way of making his film , a profitable outing for the producer. Unlike the other STAR’s who refuse to climb down and accept reality, Dhanush took several steps down and it paid off. Those in the trade say that even if Thiruchitrambalam was average box office, producer would have won.

Trade analysts say film entered Rs 100 cr club and as later releases like Liger being a bomb, Thiruchitrambalam is getting 70 % occupancy even now.  Rs 50 crores accounts from Tamil Nadu alone of the  Rs 60 crores total from India.  Overseas it has touched Rs 23 crores. Now for fans- “#Thiruchitrambalam with ₹70.75 cr BEATS #Beast lifetime ₹65.45 cr to become the 7th HIGHEST grosser of the year in TN Box Office.”- analyst Manobala latest.

For Hollywood movie ` Gray Man’, Dhanush charged only Rs 5 crores and this has made him a first choice for producers in USA and UK who are looking for an Indian actor with a popular base at home.

Shocking !!! Dulquer Salman film in Kerala flops badly

 

Fall out of Sita Ramam (SR) : Take first three days collection in Kerala . Dulquer Salman ( DQ) is considered the youth icon. SR gets  opening of Rs 30 lakhs on day one in Kerala, Rs 2.8 cr in Andhra / Telangana and Rs 15  lakhs in Tamil Nadu. On Day two, it increases in Kerala  to Rs 60 lakhs and Rs 3.70 crores in AP/ Ts and Rs 80 lakhs in Tamil Nadu. Third day in same order, DQ film in Kerasla gets Rs 90 lakhs ( being a Sunday) and touches Rs 4.7 crores in Ap/ Ts and Rs 1.2 crores in Tamil Nadu.

Analysis of figures; DQ has lost his viewer base in Kerala is evident. No body with a STAR status opens in his home territory with such a dismal tally. Taken for granted that it is a dubbed film, STAR should command an opening and later can drop collections as it is not a straight Malayalam film. Not even his die hard fans have bothered to even come near the movie hall. Some pro DQ YouTubers were seen cursing the fan clubs for cold shouldering a `cinematic poetry’.

Kurup having a subject that is quite a folklore in Kerala had got in the crowds . If content was the criteria, DQ should have seen footfalls increasing like in Tamil Nadu. In Andhra and TS , there was Kalyan Ram’s Bimbasara as opposition. It was an entirely different genre of masala film . Fact that DQ film got more collections in AP/ TS and Chennai  has shown that promotions had worked to a great extent. Failure in Kerala is purely that DQ banked on fan base to get an opening. It has proved that he is yet to command an opening on his own steam and needs props.

 From the Telegu producer viewpoint: When a Telegu Producer makes a film with a Youth icon of Kerala as hero, he expects at least the film will recover the money that he paid to the hero from Kerala. DQ charged Rs 4 crores ( as it is a multi language film) and share of collections. If Kerala gross ( inclusive of tax ) touches Rs 3 crores, it will be a miracle. For the producers luck, Telegu film collections will cover the cost. For this, should a Telegu producer go hunting for a Kerala hero ?. Take the case of Mammooty or Mohanal ( Janata Garage), the amount paid was only Rs 5 crores. It was got back from Kerala itself. In case of Janatha Garage, Lal himself took the distribution rights instead of payment. In the case of upcoming Agent, Mammooty presence would ensure a more than average opening for the film dubbed in Malayalam.

Yet another point is that Suresh Gopi’s Paapan released weeks before is collecting double what Sita Ramam is getting in Kerala.

DQ has to first consolidate his box office in Kerala and think of attempting hero roles in other languages. Take the case of Vikrant Rona, Sudeep film collected Rs 40 crores from Karnataka alone . Similarly, Kamal Haasan Vikram biggest collection was from Tamil Nadu. Even in case of Baahubali or RRR – KGF, box office collections from the home State was the highest.

My nutshell review : It reminded me of iconic Veer Zaara  - Roja- Bombay. Vishal music is good and has aptly rehashed a song of OK Kanmani. If you think cinematography – locations are soul of a film, then SR is your cup of tea. Mrunal Thakku the heroine is the biggest take away and DQ for a Malayalam film goer has not done anything new. First half is boring. You can spot the voice of Ramesh Pishardy and  Adhiri Joe ,the social media influencer, in dubbing voices for Malayalam version.

DQ says he will not play a romantic hero again – Good decision. On Monday film’s Telegu version got Rs 2.5 crores , Tamil – Rs 6 lakhs and Rs 45 lakhs in Malayalam. Total 4 day collections -  Rs 18.2 crore from all languages. Tamil- Rs 2,75 crores and Malayalam Rs 2. 25 crore and rest from Telegu.

Enforcement to take over Kollywood tax evasion case

 Suriya producer of Viruman put up a brave face at the audio launch of his film Viruman in Madurai ( home town of financier Anbu ) which has his brother Karthi as the hero.   Suriya’s close friends S R Prabhu and Gananvel Raja were in the Income tax dragnet along with ten other producers who had links with Anbu Chezyiyan . Latest info from IT sleuths is that the entire case would be handed over to Enforcement Directorate ( ED) as it shows money laundering of black money given by some biz man with links to DMK – AIADMK top leaders.  

The pattern has a definite plan. Instead of  raiding Kamal Haasan production office, they have hit the financier Anbu and executive producer Mahendran . They have left out Udhaunidhi Stalin who distributed Kamal’s Vikram 2. Instead of going straight to Suriya’s 2D entertainment, they have picked up their link producers S R Prabhu , Gananvel and Kalaipuli Thanu ( currently producing Vaadivasal with Suriya under Vetrimaaran direction). They questioned Rahul , close aide of Boney Kapoor who produced Valimai with Ajith and distributed by Anbu) 

Anbu Cheziyan was in 1990’s known as a benami of Sasikala and known to be a straight man who delivered money , if promised and never went back on his word. He got the documents of land owned by the producer apart from usual promissory note- blank cheques and a hypothecation of the film rights. Before release, the capital with interest had to be paid or ELSE ???. Actor- director Sasikumar’s brother who is a producer committed suicide and left a note blaming Anbu for his death. A case was filed and Anbu was arrested and let off.  

Those in the film finance biz say that Anbu post Sasikala jail term was in the trade handling same biz for those with connections to DMK. Anbu’s daughter is married to Sharan who is nephew of Industries Minister Thengam Theanarasu. Sharan is director of an IAS Academy and his father is Rajendran IAS. Anbu has 50 movie halls that are looked after by his daughter. 

Even though Ajith was acting in Boney Kapoor film, he did not turn up for the wedding and there was no report of Anbu having extended an invitation. A decade back, Ajith had a bitter experience at the hands of Anbu. Similarly, Vijay too kept off from the wedding Every one from Rajini- Kamal- Suriya onwards, turned up at the wedding. The wedding guest list had come handy for IT guys who came from Mumbai. 

 A seemingly inquisitive query to Raj Kamal Films of Kamal Haasan as how  Anbu Cheziyan who was given the Tamil Nadu theatrical rights of Vikram 2 got transferred to  Udhaynidhi Stalin to distribute it through his Red Giant movies was a trigger point. RKFI said that it owed Gopuram films  of Anbu,  an amount and in return it had given the Tamil Nadu distribution rights on a sharing basis. Gopuram film entered into a deal with Red Giant and RKFI was only the beneficiary and not the facilitator. 

Veteran tax experts pointed out that once a company is raided and records seized, the department does not conduct another raid till the earlier case is closed. The raid on Anbu in 2020 is still open. So the raid was to help strengthen the findings of the ED that certain biz men black money was laundered by Anbu through his film financing deals. 

 Those in know , point out that like in Shekar Reddy case where OPS- his son and other ministers in the then ADMK ministry were caught in IT dragnet , Anbu links to top brass will remain as a lever with those who need it . The raid on Shekar Reddy was on the grounds that he had crores of newly issued rupee notes son after demonetization