Celebration time

MALATHI RANGARAJAN

It's neither a case of paucity nor plenty for film folks this Diwali

Just three releases and one of them Namitha-centred! That was in Diwali 2009, when Suriya's “Aadhavan,” ‘Jayam' Ravi's “Paeranmai” and Namitha's “Jaganmohini” hit the screens. But five films are opening for this year's fest — two have well-known heroes, Arjun and Dhanush, and two others have big names, Red Giant and Cloud Nine, backing them! The fifth, “Chithira Poovae,” directed by Kalai Murugan with Sandeep as hero and Thamarai as heroine (all first-timers), you hear, tackles a potent theme, viz., female infanticide. So it's neither a case of paucity nor plenty for film-famished folks this side of the country this Diwali. Cheer up, it's still celebration time!

Sashikanth of Y Not Studios, Dayanidhi Alagiri (Cloud Nine) and hero Shiva, the hit combo that gave us the laugh riot, “Tamizh Padam,” join hands again with the director-duo Pushkar and Gayathri for another levity session called “Va, Quarter Cutting.” With support gaining such gargantuan proportions, the winning post should be within the reach of “Va …”

Agreed, you won't get to watch Ulaganayakan, Chiyaan, Ilaiya Thalapathi or Thala on the grand day. But they weren't with you last Diwali either. And anyway a Kamal, Vikram, Vijay, Ajith or Suriya release doesn't need an occasion because every film of their favourite hero is a special event for their fans. “The truth is none of the big films were prepared for a festival release. And ‘big' here primarily means huge budgets. From the mahurat to the final mixing, such projects take eight months because everything about them is grandiose,” says director A. Venkatesh, whose “Vallakottai,” is in the race this time. Arjun is its hero.

IMPOSING HERO

“Arjun's films offer minimum guarantee. Very few of his 140 films fall in the flop category. So his consistent track record makes him imposing in his own way. It's a major film all right,” says Venkatesh whose confidence has got a boost, because “Vallakottai” is his third Diwali film after Vijay's “Bhagavathy” and Arjun's “Vadhiyar” that had a commendable run a few years ago. “‘ Vallakottai' should follow the pattern,” smiles the director.

Diwali releases rev up the spirit of the makers. “It's the most looked forward to festival for film buffs and we are avid watchers too,” says director Mithran Jawahar. His “Uththama Puthiran” with Dhanush and Genelia in the lead is a full-length comedy. The Dhanush-Jawahar combo did well earlier with “Yaaradi Nee Mohini” and “Kutty.” “In Tiruchi, my hometown, Diwali means sweets, crackers, television and catching up with at least three new releases. The excitement begins a week before the fest. Even now I wish to watch ‘UP' with the audience on the opening day,” says Jawahar.

“He's right, cinema, new clothes, crackers and cuisine are an inseparable part of Diwali. Eighty per cent of the Tamil movie-going public in the State catches up with the new films in the first week. Very rarely does a Diwali release bite the dust. So naturally bringing it out at this time augurs well for the producer, distributor and theatre owner,” is Venkatesh's take. From the beginning “Vallakottai” was planned for Diwali. “When producer T. D. Raja decided on the date we began working meticulously with the schedule in mind,” he adds.

“But I had no such thought when ‘Mynaa' was in the making, though the entire story begins on the day before Diwali and concludes the day after it. It means you'll see and hear crackers and sparklers both outside and inside the cinema hall. When I was told the film would come out for Diwali, I was stunned by the aptness,” says its director, Prabhu Solomon. Now with “Mynaa” being catapulted to a much greater league, with the likes of Kamal Haasan and director Bala praising it to the skies, can it still be described as a minor venture? “By no means is ‘Mynaa' small,” Solomon asserts.

“‘I consider a film with no worthy content small; an insignificant cast and crew that come out with a riveting product is big,' said Udhayanidhi Stalin at a recent press meet. [His Red Giant Movies is presenting ‘Mynaa.'] I second the opinion,” says Solomon.

They do have a point, don't they?