A prince and a sardar

Deepavali used to mean half-a-dozen films vying with one another, with some of them being anticipated for months on end. In fact, two decades back in 2002, as many as eight prominent films hit the big screens for the festival of lights, including Vijay’s Bagavathi, Ajith Kumar’s Villain, the blockbuster Ramana, and Silambarasan’s debut, Kadhal Azhivathillai. It’s a sign of our times then that for this Deepavali, only two films are scheduled for release: Sivakarthikeyan’s Prince and Karthi’s Sardar. While Prince has Telugu director Anudeep KV making his Tamil debut, Sardar sees PS Mithran returning after his last outing, Hero, which fascinatingly enough, starred Sivakarthikeyan. The audience isn’t exactly spoilt for choice this time, but in the post-pandemic era, stakeholders believe this is still progress.

The trailer of Prince is a cross-country love story, armed with the brand of comedy that Sivakarthikeyan is known for. Meanwhile, Karthi, who is fresh from his much-appreciated turn as Vanthiyathevan in Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan, plays a double role in his spy thriller, Sardar. Tirupur Subramaniam, distributor and the president of the Tamil Nadu Theatres' Association, is grateful for the variety in both films and doesn’t really see them eating into each other. “Of about 1,200 screens, each film should get 600 each—that’s enough visibility for both films. On account of the Sivakarthikeyan factor, perhaps Prince could get a few more screens,” he says.

Srither S, the joint secretary of the Tamil Nadu Theatres’ Association, agrees that Sivakarthikeyan is really well-placed, after successful runs with both Don and Doctor. There’s also the Deepavali factor, with releases being able to capitalise on the holiday mood around the festival. “These films are getting released on Friday, three days ahead of Deepavali. The timing of the festival this year should really help them with the footfalls,” says Subramaniam, who is heartened that audiences have begun thronging theatres once again. “This is also why Ponniyin Selvan will continue to get a few screens, even after the Deepavali releases come out.”

Ruban Mathivanan of GK Cinemas remembers how bad the situation was during last Deepavali, when theatres had to operate under occupancy restrictions on account of the pandemic, thereby not being able to make the most of audience interest in films like Annaatthe and Enemy. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea at all that Prince and Sardar are clashing this Deepavali. Let’s remember a couple of years ago when Bigil and Kaithi came out for Deepavali, and both managed to do well. Ultimately, it all boils down to the quality of Prince and Sardar.”  

Traditionally, Deepavali has been a special time for film releases in Tamil Nadu, a slot coveted by the biggest stars. While Karthi and Sivakarthikeyan enjoy a significant fan-base, this festival time is still notable for the absence of a release starring the likes of Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Ajith, or Vijay. Films like Dhanush’s Vaathi and Silambarasan’s Pathu Thala were originally scheduled for release during the Navaratri holidays too. “One massive film, Ponniyin Selvan, has caused their releases to get pushed to November,” says Venkatesh of Woodlands Cinemas. “But it’s not a bad thing because this way, we are assured of big films gracing our screens until the end of the year at least.” Following the pandemic, it was suggested that movie theatres might have reached the end of their tether. And yet, as evidenced by responses to films like Vikram and Ponniyin Selvan, theatres have once again shown that there’s nothing quite like the community experience of watching a film. Will this Deepavali give us further evidence?