I think the main reasons behind the kollywood’s eye on making heavy budget movies these days are due to the directors are trying the innovative ways to catch the attention of the audiences across the globe and another reason is the producers are not getting compromise on the quality of production values these days. The other could be the makers mainly concentrating in making the film in more than one language by not bothering about the budget and spending lavishly without thinking much about later come box office revenues. On the other hand, the producers are thinking that making the high budget movies with the big star heroes like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Ajith, Vikram, Vijay, Surya could only make their film success at the box office with record breaking collections and not looking back to invest on these star heroes films at any cost.
If we have a look on heavy budget films from the past few years, we have seen Vikram and Shriya starrer Susi Ganeshan’s ‘Kanthaswamy’ that has created immense hype was made with a record budget of Rs.30 crores at that time in the Indian Film Industry. But the film was bombarded at the box office making the investors pockets empty
Then it comes to our mind the super star Rajinikanth’s film ‘Shivaji’ which was said to be India’s most expensive film to date reportedly made with a heavy budget of Rs. 65 crores, directed by India’s most luxurious director Shankar. Though the film attracted the audience with its high production values before its release, it was remained as average hit at the box office but luckily to the benefit of the producer, though his much hyped film ‘Baba’ collapsed at the box office, Rajini filled the producers’ pockets by giving back his favoured amount by giving a hope that his films will have minimum guarantee all over the world.
Kamal Haasan’s movies are nothing far behind to Rajini’s films. His Dasavatharam was said to be enormous budget film ever made in the tamil film industry at that time with a massive budget Rs 70 crores! Though it has grossed opening collections at the box office for Kamal’s action in 10 different roles, it was not recorded as block buster as expected before.
In recent times, following the bollywood production cost of Hrithik ‘Kites’, veteran filmmaker Maniratnam made a trilingual film ‘Raavanan’ with a whopping budget Rs. 120 crores and the expectations on the film has touched the sky from the date of its launch and the film is sold at Rs. 350 crores. But after the release, the audiences were deeply disappointed with the making of Maniratnam and the film was badly bombarded at the box office making the producers’ kitty empty.
It is also well known to every one that how Vijay’s much anticipated recent release ‘Sura’ that was made with high budget was washed away worstly at the box office with no signs of screening the film even after first week of its release.
In the same path of Raavanan, this year’s yet to release India’s ever never made heavy budget trilingual film ‘Endhiran’ starring Rajinikanth and bollywood queen Aishwarya Rai in the lead which is being made in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu by ace director Shankar is creating pre release hype among the audiences all over the world. It has been made with a record budget of nearly 190 crores that could not touched by any one in the industry. But the big question in every ones mind is that how come it will gain at the box office?
We can say that kollywood is celebrating the success of small-budget films this year. Though said to be small budgeted not much expected films, they are gaining high at the box office and remaning as hits. They include Siva Manasulla Sakthi, Yaavarum Nalam, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu, Pasanga, Nadodigal, Angadi Theru etc in recent times.
There are even some other heavy budget films in line for the coming months like Kamal Haasan’s ‘Manmadhan Ambu’ with KS Ravikumar, Surya’s ’7 am Arivu ‘with the Director of Murugadoss, Ajith’s much anticipated ‘Mankatha’ Vijay’s ‘Kaavalan’ etc.
Finally we can say that as the production costs of films are elevating and the theatrical screens lessening to just a few weeks, it is becoming exceedingly difficult for the producers and distributors to make sure that their films have a successful opening in the theatres.
Who ever may be the hero the producers are investing on them and what ever the film they are making with a high or low budget, only the high production values and heavy budgets cannot make the film to sustain in the industry and record as hit. If the makers have right content with a mix of all commercial elements making it in a creative style with an apt hero for that, the audiences are ready to accept the film with warm welcome at any time.
