view It wasn’t supposed to work this way for Lokesh Kanagaraj, (Kabali in 2016 and Kaala in 2018), he returned to Shankar, the young director who debuted with Maanagaram (2017), and then made Petta with Karthik Subbaraj, another new- an indie-ish thriller featuring a bunch of up-and-comers. gen fi lmmaker known more for his edgy fi lmmaking than The fi lm’s success was supposed to lead to a slow progres- his earth-shattering hits. sion up the Tamil cinema ranks. Instead, his second fi lm, Now, Ajith Kumar (who rounds up the Tier 1 category, the soon-to-be-released Kaithi, is toplined by Karthi, a Tier- with Vijay and Rajinikanth) has entrusted H Vinoth with 3 star in the saleability ranking issued by the Tamil Nadu two back-to-back fi lms, including the recently released Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association. (In comparison, Pink (2016) remake, Nerkonda Paarvai. SR Prabhu—a the cast of Maanagaram would have been slotted at Tier partner in Potential Studios and Dream Warrior Pictures, 50.) For his next trick, Kanagaraj will helm superstar Vi- and one of the most dynamic producers in Tamil cinema Ijay’s 64th fi lm, which is set to release in 2020. When I call today—attributes this change to actors like Suriya, who Kanagaraj, he is locked in by lashing rains in a Coorg home- began working with younger fi lmmakers like AR Muruga- stay, where he is working on the fi nal draft of his next fi lm. doss and Gautham Vasudev Menon. “Once the industry sees I ask him how he that these fi lmmakers found himself work- are capable of handling ing with one of Tamil stars in the intermedi- cinema’s biggest stars. ate phase, they take “While I was fi nishing notice and this leads Kaithi, I had an idea to even bigger stars for a fi lm that I dis- NEW DIRECTION approaching these cussed with a friend,” fi lmmakers.” he says. This friend Superstar actors work with superstar In other words, the happened to be friends presence of Karthi in with Vijay’s manager, directors, but the old formula is getting Kanagaraj’s Kaithi who was spreading an update in the Tamil fi lm industry, and H Vinoth’s Theer- the word that they where iconic actors have realised that an Adhigaaram Ondru were looking for the (2017) may have in- star’s next script and the only way to stay relevant is by stilled some confi dence director, and the rest signing on the new generation of edgier in Vijay and Ajith re- is now the stuff of cin- directors, observes Baradwaj Rangan spectively. Still, one ematic history. cannot dismiss the fact For the longest that a whole lot of fac- time, the biggest stars tors—piracy, stream- worked only with the ing, online content— biggest directors who were defi ned by their ability to churn have shortened the theatrical life of fi lms to a weekend or out the biggest hits. But the rules are changing and the two. To make a movie a “must-see in a theatre,” there has to superstar-led industry is gradually witnessing the rise of a be the promise of something new and non-formulaic, and fi lmmaker-centred industry. Take Rajinikanth for instance, that’s where these younger fi lmmakers, weaned on interna- the biggest star of them all. He kept going back to reliable tional cinema, score. The old guard hasn’t vanished entirely. box-offi ce names like Suresh Krissna, P Vasu, S Shankar Rajinikanth’s forthcoming Darbar is, after all, directed by and KS Ravikumar, until he shocked the industry by an- AR Murugadoss. But the electrifi ed, “do not approach” fenc- nouncing a fi lm with Pa Ranjith, who had made well-re- es around the big stars are being dismantled. Past reputa- ceived fi lms like Madras (2014) but nothing in the league of tion matters less than current currency, and that’s the Rajinikanth’s usual mega hits. After two fi lms with Ranjith surest sign of change. > SHUTTERSTOCK.COM www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA OCTOBER 203.