Kollywood’s love for its veteran superstars continues unabated. Rajinikanth (64) and Kamal Haasan (60) still rule the box office, though some of their recent films such as Lingaa and Uttama Villain may not have been successful. The buzz around Rajinikanth’s under-production Kabali and Kamal Haasan’s Thoongavanam , an official remake of French thriller Sleepless Night ( Nuit Blanche ), is huge.
The first-look poster of Kabali , showing Rajinikanth as an ageing don, went viral. Shooting has just started for the Pa. Ranjith film, which is slated for a summer 2016 release. Producer Kalaipuli S. Thanu will be marketing it himself. Thoongavanam , directed by debutant Rajesh M. Selva, is complete and is getting ready for a Diwali release. The film has Kamal Haasan playing an IRS officer in the Narcotics Bureau, and its trailer is one of the most viewed in recent times.
In Indian cinema, 50-plus is considered a dangerous age for a male action hero. Today, in Bollywood, actors like Aamir Khan (50), Shah Rukh Khan (who will turn 50 on November 2) and Salman Khan (turns 50 on December 27) are considered old, though they still rule the box office. Bollywood’s lone survivor as a commercially viable star in the 60-plus category is Amitabh Bachchan, who turns 73 today (October 11). Bachchan, the angry young man of the 1970s and 80s, had a series of flops in the 90s, but he reinvented himself successfully in powerful supporting roles. His latest release, Piku , where he plays an old man with a chronic constipation problem, is one of the year’s big hits.
What is it that makes Rajini and Kamal still hot at the Tamil box office? At 60, normally considered retirement age for Indian super heroes in other languages, Rajini and Kamal have successfully reinvented themselves by adapting to modern times. They have also struck a chord with the next generation through social media and kept their fan base intact. Movie-audience demographics are also changing, with older folks heading to modern multiplexes. The youth of the 80s, who are today in their 40s or early 50s, have a terrific connect to brand Rajini and Kamal. The nostalgia factor of the 80s and 90s is a driving force among the older audiences, especially women.
The cool thing with Rajini and Kamal is that they’re playing their age in their next releases. As per the industry grapevine, Kabali will have Rajinikanth playing a don, a role closer to his age, without the usual make-up. His characterisation in the film is rumoured to be something similar to what Hollywood action hero Liam Neeson (63) did in Taken 2 , when his daughter gets kidnapped. In a recent interview, Pa. Ranjith said that he will try to break the ‘superstar’ stereotype with Kabali .
Kalaipuli S. Thanu, the veteran producer of Kabali who gave the moniker Superstar to Rajinikanth, says, “It is a delight to work with a complete professional like Rajini sir. He has given us a 102-day call sheet for the film, and the way things are going, we may complete it ahead of time. As far as I’m concerned, age is not a factor with Rajinikanth. He is the first on the set and still has the energy and enthusiasm he had when he started out.”
Kamal Haasan has been appreciated for his role in Papanasam , as the father of two children. The film did good business in Tamil Nadu. The Thoongavanam trailer is being liked for Kamal’s mature look and action scenes which have been shot in a realistic manner. The working style of Kamal Haasan, who takes almost a year to complete a film, has also changed. Thoongavanam and its Telugu version, Cheekati Rajyam , were completed in a record 60 days.
P. Madan of Escape Artists, who has purchased the Tamil Nadu theatrical rights of Thoongavanam , explains, “Kamal sir has terrific screen presence, which is working with new-age audiences. My friends and I got goose bumps while watching the trailer of Thoongavanam . Audiences loved him in Vishwaroopam , and this film is in a similar genre. As a businessman, I have purchased the film’s Tamil Nadu theatrical rights at a reasonable price for a festival release. My sub-distributors have already snapped up all areas in the state, and it looks like it will be a profitable venture by the end of the first week.”
As per trade sources, the biggest factor which has helped the reinvention of Kamal and Rajini is that their new projects are being made on a budget and being sold at a price where everybody in the cinema chain will make a profit. The buzz is that the veteran stars are not taking upfront salaries, and are on a profit-sharing basis with the producers. Superstardom in Kollywood is following the Hollywood pattern. Some of the big action heroes, who are still fighting fit, are Liam Neeson (63) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (68).
They have proved that age is just a number, at least when it comes to action heroes.
It looks like Kollywood sexagenarians are taking a leaf out of their Hollywood counterparts, who believe that 60 is the new 40.
