3 of Superstar Rajinikanth‘s films post Sivaji The Boss became the highest grossers ever in Kollywood but the last of the 2 films fell short on setting new records by a huge margin in Tamil Nadu.
This is mainly attributed to the steep fall in Rajini‘s craze outside Chennai & Chengalpet. Even India’s most expensive project 2.0 registered footfalls that were roughly on par with Kaala and in some centers even lower on its first day though the film setting a new opening record in Chennai. The experience from Kabali & Kaala helped Rajini reinvent himself and pick roles that suit his age but to get back to his old form, he needed films that have more mainstream appeal.
Petta performed on par with 2.0 in B & C centers despite stiff competition from Ajith‘s Viswasam, while Darbar wasn’t properly packed like Petta, it was evident that Rajini has comfortably settled himself for the start of a new innings as an aged mass hero.
Rajini choose to do Annaththe specifically to strengthen his foothold in Southern Tamil Nadu ahead of his plans to enter electoral politics. Although the superstar has abandoned his political ambitions, he is still firm on reviving his craze as the undisputed SUPER ONE.
Rajini‘s initial plan was to work with a young director like Desingu Periasamy or reunite with Karthik Subbaraj upon completing Annaththe but the physical and mental stress induced by the pandemic has the superstar in two minds. In addition to fear of expensive projects not living upto expectations, Rajini is also really worried about the interest rates producers will have to keep on paying If another Covid wave is to come. At the time being Rajini is more likely to do projects that can wrapped in quick time and also appeal to his local fan base.
Ajith was also in a similar mindset when he asked H. Vinoth to get a subject ready for his 61st film. Fortunately Suriya–Vetri Maaran‘s Vaadivaasal hasn’t hit the floors yet, the makers are waiting it out till covid related shooting restrictions are lifted, otherwise one more big budget film would have become a cost failure project.
THE BUFFET - A LA CARTE FORMULA :-
As of now, Doctor & Enemy are set to clash on the Aayudha Poojai Festive Weekend. Both films are financially too risky and very costly for the present form of their respective lead actors. Even If both films are good, the viewers might give a miss to one of them because watching one film for a weekend is exhausting enough in the current moment restricted, precaution heavy theatrical atmosphere.
Just weeks before the 2nd lockdown came in effect, Karthi‘s Sulthan took a big hit and slowed down post the release of Dhanush‘s Karnan. For the kind of numbers Sulthan saw in its opening weekend, it was poised to become one of Karthi‘s Top 3 grossers in Tamil Nadu. With the road recovery looking much harder post the 2nd Covid wave, a clash doesn’t look worth the gamble from a business point of view.
Currently Valimai‘s release date is still oscillating between October 14th & Diwali but the makers are running out of time because of both the possible dates are barely a one month or two away. An official release date announcement is expected very soon. If Valimai locks October 14th, it will become a severe headache for Doctor, Enemy and more films in the lineup but Diwali wouldn’t be any different because a combined 350-400 crores will be at stake If Valimai is to clash with Annaaththe.
The last time Ajith & Rajini clashed, neither of their films were able to perform to their full potential outside Tamil Nadu. With many markets still lying fractured, the possible revenue loss could be much higher If they clash again.
With nearly 300 films in the backlog, the wise thing to do is to split the content between Theaters and OTT Platforms. For movie buffs OTT Platforms are like a buffet, a month's subscription can get them access to a vast variety of content while theaters are like a la carte because they have to pay individually for each film they watch. A Theatrical Release will get lost in the crowd If it doesn't get immediate attention while an OTT release can be watched by movie buffs at the convenience of their time and place.
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