Rajani to lend a hand to resolve the 'Kuselan' issue

Aug 20, 2008 PVS

Rajinikanth, who left for the US on Aug. 5 for a photo session for Shankar's dream project "Robot", returned to Chennai after a couple of days. He is currently seized of the issue of making good the losses incurred by theatre owners who bought the release rights for "Kuselan" paying huge minimum guarantee.

Rajini has hurried back home from US to lend his hand to resolve the issue, sources said.

Two days ago, theatre owner association leaders, while demanding that the producers, Kavithalaya and Seven Arts, should make good the losses they have incurred, urged Rajini's intervention to settle the issue amicably.

Distributors have vehemently refuted reports that Rajini has paid or agreed to pay Rs 10 crore to offset the losses.

Sources close to Rajini say the superstar is seriously considering how best he could help. It may be recalled that he had compensated the theatres for the losses incurred by them over "Baba" which was released in August 2002.

"Kuselan" was purchased at a whopping Rs 64 crore by Pyramid Saimira. Media reports quoted 'insiders' as saying that the total budget of the film (minus Rajini's remuneration) was only Rs.6.5 core. Rajini was paid around Rs 24 crore and the three producers, K. Balachander (Kavithalaya), G.V. Vijayakumar (Seven Arts) and Aswini Dutt was given a share of Rs. 12 crore each.

A leading financier and distributor of many Rajini films, who did not want to be named, told an English daily that the basic trouble with "Kuselan" is that it is not a typical larger-than-life Rajini film, like "Sivaji: the Boss" or "Chandramukhi". The fans felt cheated and the opening was weak with no repeat audiences for the film. "All those in the trade were taken for a ride."

According to media accounts, even on day-two of the film's release, tickets were available in almost all theatres across Tamil Nadu. On the fourth day there was a huge drop of 50 per cent in collections. In Chennai and suburbs, the film opened in too many screens and suffered as one could walk in and buy tickets for any show even at prestigious Satyam Cinemas, Inox and Mayajaal. And by the end of the first week, the film was shifted to smaller screens in multiplexes and the number of shows reduced. In US, on day two of its release, tickets rates were slashed from 15 dollars to 10 dollars.

Naga Ravi, who bought the distribution rights for the Gulf Countries Consortium, said in a newspaper interview that he bought it for Rs. 1.2 crore and returns till Aug.7 were only 10 per cent.

With 70 films under his belt, P. Vasu, who directed "Kuselan" which was a remake of the Malayalam hit "Katha Paryumbol", told a Tamil film magazine after the film's release that G.V Vijayakumar (Seven Arts) wanted him to see the Malayalam original and he was very much impressed with its strong script. At that stage, Vasu did not think of featuring Rajini in the place of Mammootty (who played the superstar in an 18-minute role). He also wondered whether he could make Rajini play this guest role. He asked Rajini to watch the Malayalam film. Rajini's reaction was positive. Since the film reflected his real life, he told Vasu that they would certainly make it in Tamil. Vasu said he changed the screenplay and enlarged the role of Rajini. He included scenes which he had visualized for "Chandramukhi-Part 2" which he had been planning to make. He considered this as a 'plus-point" for "Kuselan" In terms of magnitude and pick-up, he made "Kuselan" a "Kuberan", Vasu exulted.

Click the Movie button below for more info:
Kuselan