Tributes to ‘kaviarasar' on 99th birth anniversary
Drawing parallels between Tamil poet Kambar and Kannadasan, VIT vice-president and president of the kazhagam GV Selvam described the latter as a literary polymath whose lyrics continue to resonate with human emotions and timeless values. Presiding over the event, VIT founder and chancellor Dr G Viswanathan recalled his personal interactions with Kannadasan.
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The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- The Hindu
A strong hit of ‘Captain' nostalgia
As re-releases gain steam, riding on the collective urge to watch an old film again on the big screen, Vijayakant's Captain Prabhakaran is the latest to join the bandwagon. Hitting the screens again this Friday (August 22, 2025), the late star's iconic hit was originally released in 1991. Pencilled in as his 100th film then, the movie became a blockbuster and the moniker Captain stuck with Vijayakant forever. Helmed by R.K. Selvamani, whose earlier Pulan Visaranai with Vijayakant was another bonafide hit, Captain Prabhakaran released, to massive expectations from audiences, on April 14, Tamil New Year's Day. True to the director's trait of using current affairs as a crux in developing a plot, the film dealt with an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer on the hunt for a smuggler in a jungle. Forest brigand Veerappan was the obvious inspiration and the character Veerabhadran found lustre through the performance of Mansur Ali Khan. At that point in time, Vijayakant was part of the leading quartet that dominated Tamil cinema, with Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, and Sathyaraj, being the other top heroes. Carving a niche for himself through his action filmography, Vijayakant found his mark. The star, clad in battle fatigues, lit up posters that were plastered all over South India. Theatres in Madras brimmed with people, as Selvamani's tight screenplay, action blocks, and Ilaiyaraaja's music offered terrific embellishment. The song 'Aattama Therottama' became viral, even if that word did not exist in this sense, in the 1990s. Often, this single was belted out at high volume as minivans carrying college students groaned up the Ghats in Kodaikanal and Ooty. The song and Mansur's performance that had shades of Amjad Khan in Sholay, lent a wild western air to an otherwise quintessential Tamil film. Until that point in Kerala, Arjun was deemed as the 'Action-King' and his Tamil films did solid business. Through Captain Prabhakaran, Vijayakant too endeared himself to the audience beyond the Western Ghats. The movie hinting at Sathyamangalam as its base, was actually shot at Chalakudy in Kerala, with the Athirappilly water falls serving as a looming backdrop. It was no surprise that the dense tropical foliage in that area soon witnessed increased tourist footfalls. Besides thespian M.N. Nambiar, the movie also featured Sarath Kumar, Ramya Krishnan, and Rupini. Years later, there was another film Adharmam starring Murali and Nasser, which also dealt with the Veerappan angle. It was a taut celluloid enterprise and yet in public memory, it is Captain Prabhakaran that still lingers. That Vijayakant's name in the film, was inspired by LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, is another vital element in pop culture references. Often, the 100th film was seen as a jinx as many celebrated stars landed duds. However, Vijayakant changed that perception, with a movie that ticked all the commercial boxes and became a celebrated theatre experience.
India Today
42 minutes ago
- India Today
After Coolie, Nagarjuna teams up with Tamil director Ra Karthik for 100th film
Actor Nagarjuna, who is creating waves for his performance as Simon in Rajinikanth's 'Coolie', recently revealed details about his upcoming project. Following the theatrical run of the Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial, the actor has confirmed his next movie, tentatively titled 'King 100'.On ZEE5's chat show Jayammu Nischayammu Raa, hosted by Jagapathi Babu, Nagarjuna opened up about his landmark 100th said, 'My next release will be 'King 100'. It has been in the making for the past 6–7 months. Karthik, a Tamil director, narrated the script to me a year ago. It's a grand film, and we will begin after 'Coolie'. It's an action-packed family drama.' Joking about his recent antagonist roles, he added, 'This time, I am the protagonist in the film.' The veteran star has recently appeared in films like 'Coolie' and 'Kuberaa', portraying characters with negative shades. Director Ra Karthik, who previously helmed the Ashok Selvan-starrer 'Nitham Oru Vaanam', will be leading the recently, he has been in the spotlight for Rajinikanth's 'Coolie', the action thriller released on August 14, 2025. Though the film opened to mixed reactions, it was Nagarjuna's screen presence, swag, style, and charisma as Simon that became the talking his pathbreaking classic 'Shiva' is set for a 4K re-release in September 2025.- Ends
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
From national campaigns to city tours, south Indian films up the promotional game for Hindi belt
From Patna to prime-time TV, South Indian films are no longer restricting their promotions to their home turf. Big-budget productions and even mid-scale films are aggressively chasing Hindi-speaking audiences with national campaigns, influencer-driven activations, and bilingual outreach, marking a sharp break from the once-localised publicity playbook. With the Hindi belt contributing a significant chunk of box office revenue through dubbed versions, Telugu and Tamil films are now pulling out all stops—from city tours and Hindi media pushes to interactive vlogs, games, and digital collectibles. The goal is clear: to build on the success of hits like RRR, KGF, Kantara, and Pushpa 2: The Rule. Released last December, Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2 set the tone by kickstarting promotions in markets like Patna, Bihar, before raking in over ₹830 crore from its Hindi version alone. A new promotional playbook 'There's a clear shift in how South Indian filmmakers and stars are approaching promotions today. Films like Thugs of Life signal a growing ambition to create nationwide appeal, with stars stepping up for city tours, national TV appearances, and cross-platform digital campaigns. This push is driven by the blockbuster success of crossover films like Pushpa, RRR, and Kantara, which proved that strategic promotions can significantly widen a film's reach and revenue," said Chaaya Baradhwaaj, founder and managing director, BC Web Wise, a digital marketing agency. Promotional strategies now go far beyond standard trailer drops and posters, Baradhwaaj added. Innovations include regional influencer tie-ups, vernacular meme marketing, AR (artificial reality) filters, gamified reels, and pre-release content drops on music and OTT platforms. Tamil films like Leo and Jailer successfully leveraged fan-generated content and regional brand tie-ins to fuel pre-release buzz. South Indian cinema is blending regional authenticity with pan-Indian ambition, said Bryan Louis, associate account director, White Rivers Media, an independent digital marketing agency. 'Digital innovation meets on-ground activities through interactive social media, live Q&As, and creative installations, all designed for broad appeal. High production values, influencer collaborations, and bilingual releases extend the impact further," Louis said. From local to national South Indian film teams are seriously levelling up their promotional game, and this reflects a growing awareness that the film's success isn't just about the content anymore—it's also about the perception you build pre-release, said Neelesh Pednekar, co-founder and head of digital media at Social Pill, a digital marketing agency. 'Earlier, promotions were largely local—press meets, regional interviews, maybe a trailer event. Now we're seeing planned national campaigns, city tours, influencer activations, high-energy launch events, and even Hindi-language media pushes," Pednekar added. Crowd-pulling pre-release events streamed live, actor vlogs, social media takeovers, and interactive games with fans—often boosted by YouTubers or influencers—have become common. Some productions are even experimenting with NFTs, digital collectibles, and early-access events for superfans, particularly in Telugu cinema. In some cases, co-branded ads featuring actors in character just ahead of release have also been tested. Why the shift? Experts point to the success of RRR, Pushpa, and KGF as proof of what's possible when South Indian films are marketed aggressively outside home states. Platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels have also created a level playing field, making language less of a barrier. Audiences are now more willing to watch films across languages—if the hype is strong enough. As a result, even mid-scale Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films are investing in visibility from an early stage. When filmmakers know they have a story that cuts across geographies and a cast with growing national appeal, you don't aim for a regional release anymore, said Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and co-founder, TheSmallBigIdea, a digital marketing agency. Moves like trailer events in states like Bihar for films like Pushpa, and actors like Unni Mukundan from Marco giving interviews in multiple languages, are part of this mindset, he added. 'Promotional budgets often range from ₹5 crore to ₹30 crore depending on the scale of the film, especially when national or international outreach is involved. Filmmakers view these investments as essential and critical to the film's success. Such investments can be viewed as high-risk spending, but the potential returns when it comes to box office collections, OTT rights, and brand associations are often justified," said Prof. Neha Yadav, Faculty of Marketing, FLAME University.
