The big Onam winner at the Kerala box-office is Mohanlal’s Priyadarshan-directed Oppam . Just when Malayalam cinema seemed to have been totally taken over by generation next, the ageing director-hero team has made a terrific comeback. At a time when superstars are shying away from established directors, what makes the Lal-Priyan combo continue to work after 32 years and almost as many films?
Priyadarshan says, “Our careers began around the same time—in the early 1980s. We have lasted so long as a team, as our relationship is built on trust and belief in each other. He has done many films with me, even without listening to the complete script. We may have had several arguments about a script, but we’ve always trusted each other.”
The world record for most collaborations by an actor and a director is held by another Malayali duo. The late director Sasikumar and Malayalam cinema’s first superstar, Prem Nazir, worked together in 84 films from the early-1960s to the mid-1980s. A Malayalam film back then was shot in just 15 to 20 days at a Madras studio. Sasikumar holds the world record for directing as many as 141 films, while Prem Nazir holds the record for playing hero in 600-plus films!
Tamil film historian and producer G. Dhananjayan says, “Tamil cinema has seen such combinations too, starting from the late 1950s. Pa. Neelakantan and MGR have worked together in 18 films. A. Bhimsingh and Sivaji Ganesan made 18 films together. However, the record for the maximum number of films for a hero-director combination in Tamil is held by S. P. Muthuraman and Rajinikanth, who have done 22 films. The main reason for such repeated partnerships is the trust that gets established, and the assurance that each other’s interests will be protected.”
Today, however, such partnerships are on the decline. A popular Tamil actor feels that the present situation isn’t as conducive for such collaborations as it was between the 70s and the early 90s. Back then, a hero had more number of releases, and could survive even three flops in a row. Today, stars barely have one release each year. Should that bomb, it becomes a huge setback.
Says a leading Tamil actor, “When I sign a film today, I look at only whether the script will work at the box-office. I prefer directors with fresh ideas. I avoid working with directors whom I have worked with earlier, as it leads to repetition and staleness. Today, survival at the top is highly competitive and difficult, as you have to constantly give hits.”
Director Dharani, who has given memorable superhit entertainers with Vikram ( Dhill and Dhool ) and Vijay ( Ghilli and Kuruvi ), says, “Both Vikram and Vijay had immense belief in me, as the films I did with them worked big at the box-office. When I get a good script, I will definitely approach them again. Who knows, in this age of sequels, a Ghilli 2 too may happen.”
A leading producer says top heroes do not repeat their directors, as doing so will escalate the cost of a film. “In the 1980s, a top hero’s salary did not increase after every hit. But now, a hero charges more with each film. When a successful hero and a hit director get together, their combined salary will make the project commercially unviable.
Also, a hero is able to dictate terms and change the story to suit his image, only when working with new directors.”
Top director A.R. Murugadoss says, “It is the comfort level and trust between a hero and a director, along with the script, that make a film work. As a newcomer, when I first narrated my script to Ajith sir, he immediately agreed. Other heroes trusted my script, while Ajith sir trusted me; it boosted my self-confidence. Vijay sir has the habit of listening to the complete script before he commits to a film. But I usually complete my script only after the artist is signed. And finally, when we agreed on a idea, it became Thuppakki . Later, because of the trust that had developed, I could make changes to while shooting for Kaththi during shooting.”
But latest trends in Kollywood suggest a possible resurgence of the hero-director partnership. The Ajith-Siva combo has been doing back-to-back films with Veeram, Vedalam, and now, Thala 57. Though it is not official yet, Vijay is said to be doing his next film after Bhairava with his Theri director, Atlee.
Sivakarthikeyan too, after Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam and Rajini Murugan, will join hands with Ponram from January. And the biggest of them all, superstar Rajinikanth, has agreed to do another film with Kabali director Pa. Ranjith. But these duos still have a long way to go to threaten the Mohanlal-Priyadarshan record.
