'ET', starring Suriya in the lead, will hit the cinemas on March 10. The 'Jai Bhim' actor was in Hyderabad to promote the movie. In his media interaction, Suriya spoke about the movie, what can be expected from it, how the industry is coping up with the pandemic-induced changes, and more.
My banner 2D Entertainment has previously made 'Kadaikutty Singam' with director Pandiraj and Karthi. It was released in Telugu as 'Chinababu'. Pandiraj is an expert at making family films. Even the Vice-President of India tweeted praising 'Chinababu'.
The core plot point in 'ET' is social in nature. Audiences from any state/region will connect with it. 'ET' has shown what happens in our villages.
There are no irrelevant scenes in the movie. When guests visit our home, we ask the girl child to serve them water. Why don't we ask the male child to do that? We have discussed such issues in the movie. The film also deals with husband-wife relations.
The movies of Rajamouli and his father Vijayendra Prasad garu highlight the villain's character. 'ET' has got a new type of villain.
I have dubbed for my character in Telugu. It comes with a certain accent.
The pandemic has brought about a qualitative change in the mindset of people. We are now time-conscious and want to give time to family. A lot of friends and relatives are loving to stay away from polluted towns/localities. They want to leave in pure conditions. We have become more health-conscious.
The pandemic has severely affected the tourism and hospitality industry. The wedding industry has been affected, especially with destination weddings not taking place in foreign countries. The businesses have seen extreme situations where no unit gets sold for months and suddenly, pent-up demand leaves them with shortages. In the same way, the film industry, too, has witnessed drastic changes. 'Aakasam Nee Haddu Raa' and 'Jai Bhim' had to be released directly on OTT. They were lapped up by the audience. I have received appreciation for them from places like Kolkata.
The digital era is definitely a boost for film producers. New filmmakers, writers and stories will come to light. During the pandemic, films like 'Pushpa' and 'Bheemla Nayak' have done really well.
In the digital world, AHA has been providing a platform for new talents. Films made by SS Rajamouli generate a strong buzz all over the country. Tamil heroes are doing Telugu movies. The audience are exposed to content-driven movies from Mollywood.
Production companies have spread their wings from Delhi and Mumbai. Of late, we are seeing action scenes go up in scale. Youths are loving content-driven movies. These transformational changes will revolutionize entertainment. Collections during weekends are strong. The positive atmosphere is making the producers/distributors happy.
By curbing piracy, OTT is expanding the audience base. Out of 8 crore people in Tamil Nadu, 80 lakh people are watching OTT content. Like 'Akhanda', 'Pushpa' and 'Bheemla Nayak', 'ET' too will become a big hit.
