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Reel gets reality check in Kollywood in 2021

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The year 2021 saw the reopening of theatres across Tamil Nadu. While the pandemic put the very survival of cinema halls at stake last year, the release of Vijay-Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Master this January set the Tamil film industry on its path to recovery. The interim closure from April to August didn’t deter the audience from thronging the screens following the reopening. The theatre vs OTT debate took a back seat, and the industry embraced a co-existence as new digital players entered the game. On the whole, it was a rather harmonious year.

Be that as it may, in an industry as powerful and in an art as influential, there were quite a few tussles and talking points this year. Here’s a run-down on them:

History hiccup

Mari Selvaraj’s powerful film Karnan was inspired by the Kodiyankulam riots and drew a fair amount of scrutiny. Actor-politician Udhayanidhi Stalin pointed out that while the real event took place during the rule of the AIADMK in 1995, in the film, the events were set in 1997 when the DMK was in power. This led to outrage from party loyalists.

The film’s team soon changed ‘1997’ to the ‘later half of the 90s’. Some DMK members, however, continued to complain, claiming the ‘correction’ too suggested DMK’s culpability. Udhayanidhi eventually released a statement urging cadre to drop the debate. It was later learnt that Udhayanidhi and Mari Selvaraj would be joining hands for their next project.

The mysterious movie

The first-look poster of a film titled Anbuselvan starring Gautham Vasudev Menon was launched by director Pa Ranjith. Confusion arose when Gautham denied he was part of the film, claiming he hadn’t even met the director. Later that day, the film’s producer released shooting footage from the film featuring Gautham and clarified that the film had been in the making for three years and was delayed due to the unavailability of the actor-director. He said the film’s title was changed from Kelvikuri to Anbuselvan to cash in on the popularity of GVM’s Kaakha Kaakha. The producer, who reportedly kept changing directors, insisted that Gautham was kept in the loop. Gautham did not make any further comments.

Valimai update

Actor Ajith Kumar issued a strongly worded statement requesting fans to maintain dignity and discipline in public and on online forums after a section of desperate fans began requesting updates of the film at unconnected events, including cricket matches and political rallies. Towards the end of the year, a three-minute-long making video of Valimai, which addressed the delay of the film and thanked fans, was released.

Divided, we fall

The August issue of Rolling Stone India came under fire for failing to credit lyricist, rapper, and singer Arivu on its cover story titled Back to the Roots. The magazine interviewed singer Dhee and rapper Shan Vincent Di for the cover, while Arivu, the lyricist and co-performer in Enjoy Enjaami and co-lyricist of Neeye Oli (Sarpatta Parambarai) with Shan, was not featured. The issue came to the fore when Pa Ranjith criticised Arivu’s exclusion. Upset, Shan lashed out against the filmmaker alleging he was causing a divide among Tamil artists. The rapper released a rap titled Take Cover, in which he complained that Ranjith didn’t want him to be part of his Sarpatta Parambarai, and it was composer Santhosh Narayanan who had brought him in.

The Family Man furore

Samantha’s Raji, a former Sri Lankan Tamil rebel living in Chennai, from the Amazon Prime Video series, The Family Man Season 2, was under the scanner even before the show’s release. The Tamil Nadu government wrote to Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar seeking a country-wide ban. Going by promotional material, the State felt that the series was ‘loaded with insults and insinuations against Tamil culture’. The show’s creators Raj and DK said the show was made valuing the sentiments of Tamil people.

Calendar crisis

Vanniyar leaders protested against Suriya’s Jai Bhim for allegedly portraying them in a bad light, taking offence to one scene featuring a calendar, which the party believed was a derogatory reference to the community. Though this scene was replaced by the makers, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss of the PMK condemned the film and the actor. Suriya also faced threats of violence.

Source: The New Indian Express