The million-dollar question in Kollywood is this: What next for superstar Rajinikanth? The grapevine has been abuzz that Rajinikanth had met new-generation filmmaker Pa. Ranjith, who has made Attakathi and Madras . Ever since the news broke, social media has been going berserk with rumours and updates including a ‘first look’ pic from the flick.
The rumour mill had it that Rajinikanth was very impressed with the script and that he had allotted bulk dates and it would be produced by veteran distributor and producer Kalaipuli S. Thanu. In fact, it was Thanu, who in the early 1980s, gave the famous ‘Superstar’ tag to Rajinikanth, in the posters of one of the films he distributed. The proposed Ranjith film is said to be a quickie, ready for Pongal 2016 release.
However, sources close to Rajinikanth have said that there is nothing official about this news, and the superstar is in discussion with various directors regarding his next film. Kalaipuli S. Thanu, when contacted, said: “I have no comments to make at the moment. I would love to make a film with the superstar, as and when it happens, God willing.”
Rajinikanth is in a piquant situation. His last release Lingaa failed at the box office and the subsequent controversies between producers and distributors over refunds left a bad taste. Lingaa was made by one of his most trusted directors, KS Ravikumar, with whom he had given one of his biggest hits, Padayappa . Rajinikanth realises that if he has to reinvent himself as a saleable star again, he has to work with a new-generation director, who understands the pulse of today’s youth audiences. The formula chiselled out of his larger-than-life image – which worked for him over the years, till Shankar’s Enthiran (2010) – is no longer hot at the box office.
The superstar needs to rework his image within the popular commercial format, with a new team that can think out of the box. Rajinikanth is still the biggest brand down south and has terrific recall value. The superstar has been meeting and brain-storming story ideas with directors like Shankar, Sundar. C, Raghava Lawrence and Pa Ranjith.
A source close to the development said: “If you take Rajinikanth’s or any big star’s career, they always prefer to work with directors who are not only on the same page but also on the same wavelength. It’s the comfort level that matters. But after some time familiarity sets in, and at that stage, you have to move on and work with young people who can give a new image that may work at the box office.”
The trade feels that for Rajinikanth to have a new lease of life at the box office, he not only needs a hit, but a producer who will market the film effectively. Trade experts believe that his last two films were sold at an unreasonable price, with the middleman walking away with the profits. One of Rajinikanth’s biggest strengths during the 1980s and 90s was his producers. He always worked with the best of banners and had a regular set of distributors who made his films financially viable. And he was one of the few stars who compensated the distributor and producer if his film failed, as Baba did.
Seventy-five per cent of the total theatrical revenue of a Rajinikanth film comes from Tamil Nadu, while it is 85 to 90 per cent for other big heroes. In TN, there is a cap on ticket rates and a film will have to carry a ‘U’ censor certificate if it has to be eligible for an entertainment tax exemption.
All this limits the amount that can be collected from theatrical revenue in the state. The international market for Tamil films is booming while the market in the rest of India is stagnant. Lingaa ’s Hindi and Telugu versions were duds at the box office.
In today’s market scenario, where big-hero films are falling like nine pins at the box office, Rajinikanth knows the importance of the budget. The onus is on him to keep the budget of his new film under control. The market rumour is that he dropped Shankar and Raghava Lawrence as their budgets were more than Rs. 100 crore, something not feasible at the moment. As a comparison, the cost of the first copy of Salman Khan’s new film Bajrangi Bhaijaan is only Rs.75 crore.
Pa Ranjith is said to have got the nod as his script was good and will give the superstar an all-new image, and could be made on a very reasonable budget. The buzz is that he has roped in Kalaipuli S. Thanu, the president of the powerful Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC), as producer. Thanu understands the Tamil film market and there will not be any marketing headaches or release tension.
The latest we hear is that there will be an official announcement shortly.
