The quality of writing and technical talent is very strong here

Not many corporate studios have ventured into Kollywood. Ever since Fox Star Studios made inroads into Tamil cinema in 2011, it has been supporting not just big films, but many small-budget films, too. Their productions, which include films like Engeyum Eppothum, Kakka Muttai, have managed to set a new trend here. And now, gearing for the release of Sangli Bungli Kadhava Thorae, co-produced with Atlee, Rangoon, co-produced with AR Murugadoss and Annanukku Jai, co-produced by Vetri Maaran — the production house is happy about their association with regional cinema.So, what really prompted them to get into the Tamil cinema space? “Tamil and Telugu cinemas are the next biggest industries after Bollywood. When it comes to Tamil, the quality of writing and technical talent here is very strong. The best part is that the audience, too, is open to new narratives. The industry here is most successful in giving breaks to new talents. That’s what prompted us to venture here,” says Vijay Singh, CEO of Fox Star Studios.
And the experience, he says, has been hugely satisfying. “We have consistently delivered movies that have not only got critical, and commercial acclaim, but delivered good profits for the company as well. We have concentrated on quality more than quantity in this market. With the right script, director and our marketing muscle, we have managed to deliver six hits in this market,” says Vijay.
On supporting young and new directors and he says, “We have a strong team that is constantly looking at scripts that are interesting. If the script is exciting enough, we back the project with all our might. It’s just a coincidence that most of our projects have been with first-time directors. From Kakka Muttai’s director Manikandan to Raja Rani’s director Atlee, we have put our faith in their visions and have reaped the benefits. We will be continuing with this tradition of nurturing new talent with our upcoming films as well.” Having produced films in Bollywood, how different is the Tamil film industry? “As a studio, we do not view the Tamil film industry any differently from the Hindi or Hollywood films that we produce/ distribute. The quality of scripts and technicians coming out of this market are in a much better state than they are in Bollywood. However, on the flipside Hollywood and Bollywood films are slated six months to a year in terms of release. Getting the right date is half the battle won. In the TN market, there’s no clarity and the makers keep shifting their dates or announce their release dates, sometimes just one week prior to the release. This makes it very difficult, especially for the small-mid level films, and most of the times, it gets crushed by a bigger film or goes unnoticed amongst multiple films released on the same date.”
So, when can we see Fox Star foray into the big-budget circle? “We are currently looking at a lot of projects, some small and others ‘blockbuster’ level, but the script and the director/ producer are the biggest decision makers for these ventures. And yes, we are confident that we can use our worldwide muscle to ensure a bigger success for the film even outside of south India,” says Vijay.