‘Distribution is an art form’

Gnanavel Raja of Studio Green tells Vishal Menon why he prefers distribution to production.

Gnanavel Raja

“I’ve always wanted to be a producer,” says Gnanavel Raja, halfway into our conversation in his Studio Green office. It’s seldom that you hear such a declaration, especially in a business where less than five per cent of the investors end up making a profit. “Even in Class 11, I would sit with my friends Karthi and Jayakumar, and dream of being a producer. After school (St. Bede’s), we’d immediately go to Devi or Sathyam for the three o’clock show. We’ve always loved movies, and decided that Jayakumar would direct, Karthi would act and I would produce… But Jayakumar has escaped to the UK though,” laughs Gnanavel Raja, who’s often mistakenly thought of as the cousin of Suriya and Karthi. “We’re only distant relatives.” Even though Suriya insists that Gnanavel be referred to as a cousin.

Given the nature of the business, does he get to distribute films that suit his taste? “When you’re in the trade, you need to switch off a bit, and think like the audience. I usually back a film based on three aspects—the title, trailer and the first look.” That’s how he chose Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga , the 2013 hit, even before it was completed. “If these three aspects work, I will bring in business till Sunday. How many people walk in from Monday? That’s up to the director.”

Raja, who prefers distribution to production, has learnt a few lessons over the years. “You shouldn’t get emotional about a film. I’ve failed every time I got too close to a film. This happens more when you’re the producer. It’s as stressful as conducting a wedding.”

Considering how rarely Tamil films release as planned, is distribution a tricky business? “We have 600 screens in the state, compared to 1,450 screens in Andhra and Telangana. More films get made here, and so, they are bound to miss their release dates. But the real problem is how we don’t allocate more time for post-production. We spend only a fraction of the time Hindi films spend on promoting their films.”

That’s why Raja plans to start promoting his next film S3 , right from June for an October release. “It’s brand-building after all.”

Another way forward for the business is to open up the international markets. His

24 , which released in nearly 250 screens in the US, has already crossed the million-dollar mark. “The overseas market has given us the confidence to take chances with new ideas, but we still have a long way to go. For instance, the entire Canadian market for Tamil films is being controlled by mafia. If there’s a Rs.3-crore market there, we are forced to sell it to them at under Rs.1 crore. And if we choose not to sell it to them, they’ll disrupt the screenings. We need to engage with the governments to ensure that this doesn’t happen.”

Raja thinks of distribution as an art. “I don’t believe in art cinema that’s made for festivals and awards alone. What we pay the government is still called entertainment tax, no matter what kind of film we make. In the right hands, every film can be made to make money. It’s our job to bring great movies to the audience.”