A second chance for Tamil films!

A second chance ...that’s exactly what cricket and exams seem to have given a few good Tamil films...
Fate, they say, gives everyone a second chance. And seeking to capitalise on it now are a few talented directors in Kollywood, who sincerely believe that their films did not get their due the first time they were released.
Yes, in what seems to be an emerging trend, directors of Tamil films, who feel that their films haven’t gotten their salt’s worth at the box office the first time, are now working relentlessly to ensure that their films get re-released in hopes of reaching out to a wider section of audience the second time.
And luck, it seems, is on their side. The cricket world cup, which is scheduled to begin on February 19 and go on until April 2, and the IPL, which will take place in April after the world cup, have left most Kollywood filmmakers wondering if they have to hold back their new releases until May. Adding to their pressure is the fact that school and college examinations too will be held in the months of March and April.
It is this phase that directors who are looking to re-release their films are seeking to make use of.
Says Surya Prabhakar, the director of Tha, which earned widespread appreciation from various quarters but had to be pulled out due to lack of adequate theatres at the time of its release, “At the time of my film’s release, there was a downpour. Heavy rains lashed various parts of the state during the first few crucial weeks, forcing people to stay indoors. Added to that was the problem of availability of theatres. There were only a few theatres that were available for screening our film.”
Adds the director, whose film features first timers Srihari and Nisha in the lead, “The people who watched my film loved it. But as there were not many theatres to screen the film, those who wanted to watch it could not catch it. That was when we decided that we would pull it out of the theatres and go in for a re-release. The support from the public was phenomenal. In fact, the last show in a particular theatre saw over 350 people watch my film. This time, we have decided to promote our film aggressively and have tied up with another firm for the purpose. We plan to release it sometime in February.”
Director K Bhagyaraj’s Siddhu +2, which features Shanthnoo Bhagyaraj in the lead, too is all set for a re-release in Chennai. Says the actor, “The movie has already been re-released in Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore and is doing well. In Chennai, we will re-release it soon.”
The third film that is gearing up for a re-release is director Anand Chakravarthy’s Nil Gavani Sellathey. The director, who also features in the film along with Dhansikaa, Jagan and Lakshmi Nair, says, “Yes, I am looking to re-release my film sometime in February because all those who watched it the first time were impressed by it. However, due to a combination of factors like the lack of publicity, it didn’t reach a major section of the audience. This time, we have made adequate arrangements to ensure adequate publicity for the film. Also, I have chosen to release it in February because that is the time that new films will not hit the screens and theatres will be starved of releases.”
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