A NUMBER of much awaited films are set for release over the Diwali/Deepavali weekend.
Elavarasan Varadharajan, the promoter of Kavin Media, which brings Kollywood/Tamil releases to South Africa, said Sardar was the highlight this festive season.
“Actor Karthi Sivakumar's Sardar is an espionage action thriller. It follows the success of Ponniyin Selvan-1 (PS1) where he performed the lead role as Vanthiyathevan.”
Varadharajan said the Tamil diaspora had a strong presence globally, which was one of the key reasons for the success of Tamil films at box offices globally.
“PS1 set new box office records in many countries, including the USA, Canada, the European Union, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. The film topped the box office in Malaysia and Singapore, where Tamil is one of the official languages, for the first week, pushing behind all of the Hollywood releases.
“In South Africa, we have a huge Tamil diaspora but the support for Tamil movies is always a concern. The box office does not equate the numbers proportional to the population,” he said.
Sardar stars Karthi in a dual role. The co-stars include Raashi Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan and Laila. The film music is composed by GV Prakash Kumar with cinematography by George C Williams and editing by Ruben.The film is scheduled to release on October 22 worldwide including South Africa.
Shalandra Bunseelal, a film enthusiast and critic, said there were two Bollywood releases lined up this Diwali.
“The first is the social comedy Thank God that features Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh in the lead roles. The other release, Ram Setu, has Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nusrat Barucha in the lead roles. One expects more from the releases lined up over Diwali and this year the releases are nothing to rave about. Normally, we get the biggest blockbusters lined up during this festival, but this year the Diwali releases are strictly average.”
Bunseelal said for him, Thank God had better appeal than Ram Setu.
“Thank God is directed by Indra Kumar who over the years has delivered hits with classic movies like Dil, Beta and Raja before making crazy comedies like the Dhamaal and Masti franchises.
“Thank God has an unusual concept about a young man who has to play the game of life and redemption, while dealing with issues of anger, jealousy and lust. The redemption angle should make for interesting viewing, and it’s great to see Sidharth back after the critical and commercial success of Shershaah.
“Ram Setu is another Akshay Kumar release, after four other releases this year that under performed at the box office. The film has an interesting story about the search for the mythical Ram Setu bridge that has reference to the epic Ramayana.”
Bunseelal said while growing up, Diwali was always a day dedicated to the festival with family friends and loved ones.
“Bollywood has always filled that category of a special loved one and Diwali Bollywood releases were always a start to the celebration, be it at home with loud music, at the movies, or as kids going to buy the latest Bollywood releases from Roopanands.
“I remember enjoying blockbusters over Diwali including Om Shanti Om, Don, Fashion, Happy New Year and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil on the big screen. The strong Indian values, the music, the fashion and the celebrations were always an extension of the festive day. The highlight for me was hosting a special Diwali themed screening of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Family, food, cultural celebrations and Bollywood is a hit combination.”
All these films can be seen at local cinemas.
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