What does it take for a film to be successful? Strong dialogues, careful storytelling, and effective performances. These elements are even more crucial for pan India or multilingual films, and if a movie fails to meet these standards, it’s bound to be a disappointment. But blaming North Indians for the failure of “Ponniyin Selvan” part 1 is like blaming the rain for making your coffee taste bad.
“Hindi audience ke palle nahi padi”
Karti Shivkumar seems to have reached new heights of denial. Despite “Ponniyin Selvan” underperforming in the Hindi market, he still expects the second version of the film to be a smashing success in all languages across the country on 28th April. Sadly, it seems the rest of the country shares a lack of enthusiasm for Ponniyin Selvan 1, but hey, at least he can blame it all on the Hindi speaking region!
Talking about the same subject, Karthi Sivakumar said, “I think they (north audience) found it a little difficult to understand. That’s what I felt from my understanding of the reception. I’ve been told they understood the film better (on OTT). Therefore, I feel they will receive PS 2 better when it releases in cinemas.”.
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Is this a joke?
If a film fails to impress the Hindi-speaking audience, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad film, right? I mean, movies like “Vikram” and “Kaithi” were in the news despite not performing well in that region. It’s like not knowing how to dance and blaming the floor for being crooked. There have been other films like “Kantara”, “Rocketry”, “KGF”, and “RRR” that have been released, and they were loved by the masses.
You know what they say, there’s a fine line between being direct and beating around the bush. Let’s put aside Mani Ratnam’s agenda and take a closer look at “Ponniyin Selvan”: it neither fully captures the grandeur of the Chola Empire nor does it have universal appeal. One can’t help but ask, “What exactly are you trying to say?”
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Tamil filmmakers should consider growing up a little bit
So, what can we learn from all of this? Clearly, the Tamil film industry still suffers from a superiority complex in comparison to other industries. It seems as though they believe that they are the only ones who truly understand cinema, and everyone else is just drinking watered-down versions of it. This arrogance is reflected in their movies as well, with the assumption that North Indian cinema lovers don’t know anything about cinema. It’s as if they are trying to create a separate, exclusive club, rather than making their films accessible and enjoyable to all.
But times have changed, and the audience is not as gullible as before. When our own industry’s subpar products are not worth a penny, why should we treat other industries’ subpar products as gold? The recent films that have been making waves all over India, especially in the Hindi markets, have one thing in common, they all have a relatable story that connects with the audience on some level and provides great entertainment value.
Also read: Dear Mr. Vijay Sethupathi thank you for acting in Hindi film
Filmmakers in Tamil Nadu are unfortunately more skewed towards the intellectual crowd, with only a few exceptions like Lokesh Kanagaraj. Filmmakers often tend to unnecessarily complicate their films, adding layers of complexity where it isn’t needed. Films such as “Jai Bheem” fail to connect with the masses and end up being neither here nor there.
Also Read: The Epic Saga Continues: A Movie Review of Ponniyin Selvan 2
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