One may say that 2018 was a year of change for Kollywood but from what it looks like, 2019 promises to see faster and better transformation in terms of film content and even marketing. Surely a major chunk of content will still be heavily multiplex audience driven but we are also about to see women-centric films, sports based films, superhero films and movies from some more interesting genres. With the numbers increasing in the ranks of the socially aware audience, film makers are turning towards content that speaks out socially more than just commercially.
Currently, the hot topic in Kollywood is football. As one may remember, the last proper football film in Kollywood was Lee, which came out in 2007. The film starred Sibiraj, Prakash Raj and Nila in the lead roles. Produced by noted actor and Sibiraj's dad - Sathyaraj and directed by Prabu Solomon, the film was a failure at the box office, despite fetching critical acclaim. Now, it looks like the trend is again catching on. We have films like Thalapathy 63, Kathir's Jada and Jai's upcoming film called Karuppar Nagaram with director Gopi Nainar of Aramm fame, that all deal with football as the main topic. It may be the effects of the recently concluded FIFA World Cup or maybe, the directors think sports films are the next big thing in Kollywood.
Whatever the reason may be, when an actor like Vijay introduces his fans to football, it is sure to stick on. In fact, it may even go on to become the fresh change that Kollywood needed. Thalapathy 63 deals with football and even in a recent interview, composer A R Rahman shared that the film will be along the lines of Pele, his successful Hollywood movie.
Then, there is Kathir's Jada which is also based on football while further details are yet to be revealed. Jai's Karuppar Nagaram deals with the sport of football in the North Chennai backdrop, which draws a comparison between the game that's played in local areas and on the international arena. The film also talks about the politics that is involved in football.
Well, is football the new thing in K-town? We can only wait and watch!
