It has been a long time since legendary filmmaker Mani Ratnam scored a super hit. ‘Sakhi’ which came in 2000 was the last big success. Though ‘Ok Bangaram’ was declared a hit, it wasn’t entirely satisfactory. Films like ‘Yuva’ and ‘Villain’ got critical acclaim but they were commercial failures. It is unnecessary to about disasters like ‘Kadali’ and ‘Cheliyaa’. But things took a positive turn for Mani Ratnam after ‘Ponniyin Selvan – 1’. The movie has nearly reached 400 crores of gross collections and the Tamil audience are terming it as a classic.
Though it did not perform well in any other language including Telugu, Mani Ratnam’s taking, visuals and colorful presentation paired with stellar performances made this film a decent success. Talk from Chennai circles claim that the result of ‘PS – 1’ has made Mani Ratnam to team up with Rajnikanth. This duo made ‘Thalapathy’ together back in 1991 and it was a huge success. This movie which was based on the friendship of Duryodhana and Karna from Mahabharat has gained a cult classic status. It is considered as Mani Ratnam’s best work and Ilayaraja’s music is heard even today.
It has been 31 years since it released and sources claim that the superstar-Mani Ratnam combo may happen once the director finishes working on ‘PS – 2’ which will be arriving next year. Unlike ‘PS – 1 & 2’, Rajni’s film will not be set in a period backdrop and reports are that it showcases the journey of a man who sees many ups and down in life. It reportedly runs on the lines of ‘Nayagan’. Currently, Rajni is working on Nelson’s ‘Jailer’ and we need to wait till the news becomes official.
Recent Random Post:
Telangana HC Halts Ticket Price Hike for The Raja Saab
In a major setback to the producers of The Raja Saab, the Telangana High Court on Friday suspended the government memo that permitted an increase in movie ticket prices. The court also directed ticketing platform BookMyShow to sell tickets only at the previously approved rates until further orders.
The High Court was hearing petitions challenging the hike in ticket prices for the film. Advocate Vijay Gopal, appearing on behalf of the petitioners, argued that authorities were routinely granting ticket price hikes in violation of established norms whenever big-budget films are released.
He informed the court that the Home Department Secretary does not have the legal authority to issue memos allowing ticket price increases. As per existing rules, only District Collectors — and in Hyderabad, the Commissioner of Police — are empowered to grant permissions for ticket price hikes and benefit shows.
After hearing the arguments, the court expressed strong displeasure over the recurring practice of issuing such memos. Questioning the government pleader, the judge asked why permissions are “cleverly” issued every time a major film hits theatres.
The court also noted that the concerned minister had recently made a public statement assuring that ticket prices would not be increased. “Despite that assurance, permissions are being granted repeatedly. This is not the first time the court has raised this issue. How many times must we say this before your approach changes?” the court observed.
Expressing concern over the burden on the public, the court remarked that frequent ticket price hikes cause hardship to common moviegoers. “We too go to cinemas and we know the ticket prices,” the judge noted.
Taking serious note of the issue, the High Court suspended the ticket price hike memo and instructed BookMyShow to collect ticket charges strictly at the old rates until further orders. The decision offers immediate relief to audiences and once again brings the issue of arbitrary ticket price hikes during major film releases under judicial scrutiny.
