CHENNAI: Almost 47 years after its original release and 18 years after the death of its lead actor Sivaji Ganesan, the Tamil super hit ‘
Vasantha Maaligai
’ is making a comeback in a digitally remastered version. The film is set to release in about 100 screens across Tamil Nadu this Friday.
While the move is in keeping with the trend witnessed over the past few years in the Tamil film industry that started with ‘Karnan’, unlike a few other old films that had a rerun digitally, ‘Vasantha Maaligai’ will not be competing for space in run-down theatres, but in multiplexes like Sathyam and Escape, as well as AGS and S2, with reservations opening on Wednesday.
“Our family is full of Sivaji fans. As a result, I became his fan at the age of 14, even though I watched other films. I wanted to show my fondness for Sivaji and was searching for the right film of his to be remastered digitally. Veteran director V C Guhanathan helped me get the rights for ‘Vasantha Maaligai’,” says Shirdi Sathya Sai Films’ P Nagaraja, who owns Groupcom Systems that offers data and voice communication services.
Originally made in 35mm, the film has been remastered in Di colour, besides other technology upgrades including DTS, 4K Sony and 2K Qube. “We also had a fresh trailer and launched it in Chennai’s Sathyam Cinemas on March 29. Despite being a working day, the hall was jampacked,” he said.
According to K Chandrasekaran, president, TNCC Arts Wing and Sivaji Social Welfare Association, the film’s producer D Ramanaidu did not sell the satellite rights of ‘Vasantha Maaligai’ to any television channel. “As a result, whenever it hit theatres for rerun in its original form, it received a great response. In its digital avatar and technological upgrade, the expectation is much higher, with audience screaming ‘once more’, at theatres in Karur and other parts of state, when the trailer was played recently,” Chandrasekaran said.
Sivaji Ganesan’s ‘Karnan’, ran to housefull shows when it was
digitized
about two years ago. Soon, several others joined the fray buying rights of old Sivaji and MGR films for digital mastering and reruns. “Only ‘Karnan’, in digital format, turned out to be a commercial hit due to its content and great music. The story of Mahabharata was told so crisply by the film’s director B R Panthulu that it attracted younger audiences as well. While I also invested a lot in the film’s promotion, the others did not focus in properly promoting their films,” says Shanthi Chokkalingam.