Sivakarthikeyan, fresh off the release of Madharaasi, has opened up about the oft-discussed Rs 1000-crore milestone in Tamil cinema. In an exclusive conversation with Cinema Express, the actor shared his thoughts on box office numbers, the North Indian market, and why the concept of a “pan-Indian film” is misleading.
Reflecting on the industry’s race towards four-digit collections, Sivakarthikeyan pointed out that several factors beyond a film’s quality determine its box office fate. “Like I said before, we did not think about the number Amaran would make while working on it. You cannot make a film like that. Apart from the quality of a film, there are other factors to consider, such as ticket pricing. I am not in favour of increasing the ticket prices, but if we charged as much as in Bengaluru or Mumbai, then Jailer would have easily crossed Rs 800 crores, if not Rs 1000 crores,” he said.
The actor believes that Tamil films need stronger penetration in Northern markets to achieve those numbers. However, he highlighted a roadblock that has kept many films from wider reach. “We usually sign four-week deals with OTT platforms after release. In cities like Mumbai, multiplexes will screen your film provided the OTT premiere happens only eight weeks after the theatrical release. If not for this conundrum, Amaran would have received a much wider reach in the Northern regions,” he explained.
Sivakarthikeyan also noted that it is unrealistic to expect a single star or a single film to crack the Rs 1000-crore barrier. “It is not so easy to be pulled off by a single person. But I believe Tamil cinema is getting there, and the elusive Rs 1000 crore accomplishment will be achieved in a couple of years,” he said with optimism.
Addressing the failures of Tamil films that were expected to reach the landmark figure, Sivakarthikeyan remarked that storytelling quality and audience acceptance across regions remain key. “Pan-Indian films cannot be made. The acceptability of the content alone can make a movie pan-Indian,” he asserted.
On Madharaasi, he expressed cautious hope that the film’s universal theme will strike a chord with audiences nationwide. “The film has dealt with an issue that is universal, and hopefully, it is relatable to all parts of India. But at the end of the day, things could go either way,” he admitted.