The film industry is one in which a producer’s shelf life is limited. But ‘Sathya Jyothi’ Thyagarajan has managed to survive for 37 years. Son of legendary producer Venus Govindarajan, he has gone through highs and lows before emerging as one of the most successful producers in the industry. His latest hit is the Ajith-starrer Viswasam.
In a chat, he tells us about his journey and how the industry has changed over the years. Excerpts:
How big a hit is Viswasam?
It is the biggest in my career. The film is a blockbuster and credit for that should go to Ajith, director Siva and the entire team. It has roughly grossed around ₹125 to 130 crores in Tamil Nadu alone. The lifetime distributors’ share would be between ₹70 to ₹75 crores. It is phenomenal by any yardstick. The content attracted family audiences and the release date was perfect; we got a wide release in nearly 600 screens that worked to our advantage.
How important is the opening for a film in today’s scenario?
It is the key factor, especially when we’re talking about big hero films. Viswasam had a big opening despite stiff competition as Ajith sir is widely described as the ‘king of opening’ and has a huge fan base.
Recently, I travelled across Tamil Nadu and observed his fans at the grassroots level.
Here is a star who has disbanded his fan clubs but still manages to have a strong hold among the masses.
According to the trade, Viswasam has revived the B and C markets or what we call today as semi-urban and rural areas.
Who said that the B and C markets are dead? It is an integral part of Tamil cinema as the concept of ‘family viewing’ still takes place in smaller stations. Before Viswasam, another film (Kadaikutty Singam) did well in this market. I’ve always believed that a commercial film should have content targeted at the ladies, the pivot around which family audiences revolve.
How much has the business of cinema changed from the time you started out, with Kamal Haasan’s Moondram Pirai (1982), till today?
I remember releasing Kamal sir’s Moondram Pirai in 45 theatres in Tamil Nadu. Those days, we had analogue prints and the film picked up due to good word-of-mouth and was declared a hit after 50 days. The overflow started trickling in after 100 days and the film took nearly eight months to complete its entire run in Tamil Nadu. Today, Viswasam opened in 582 screens in Tamil Nadu and will complete 50 days in theatrical run only because it is a blockbuster. On Monday (February 25), it will have its digital premiere on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video. Cinema has changed so much! When I started out, it was the only form of entertainment. Today, it is just another form of entertainment.
How did you manage to survive in this business for so long when even bigger banners have closed shop?
I tell both my sons (Arjun and Senthil), who are now into production, to be innovative and change with the times. When cinema was going through a dull phase in early 2000, we got into television and got success there. Now, we are getting into web series content for an OTT major.
Do you feel Tamil cinema is becoming too superstar-driven? The market for small films is decreasing.
Star films do have an opening but becoming hits purely depends on the content. Small films should be made on a tight budget with directors with fresh ideas and new actors. My banner has made some successful small-budget flicks; Sathya Jyothi has a great record of making some of the best small-budget movies like Pagal Nilavu, Kizhakku Vasal, Idhayam, Parthiban Kanavu, Em Magan, among others. In fact, we are now planning to make a few small films within a budget of ₹4 to 5 crores. Meanwhile, we also have a two-film deal with Dhanush. The first of that will kickstart in March and will be directed by RS Durai Senthil Kumar. The second project will be directed by Ram Kumar of Ratsasan fame.
