In the South Indian celluloid world, it is often difficult to pull audiences into theatres if a movie doesn’t have stars.
But the recent Tamil film Vaazhai, made on a budget of Rs5 crore ($777,000), has proved that featuring newcomers and not-so-popular actors can end in spectacular results too.
The children’s drama, directed by Mari Selvaraj, who has made films such as Pariyerum Perumal, Karnan and Mamannan, has set the cash registers ringing.
Despite the limited release, Vaazhai minted over Rs7 crore from the Tamil Nadu box office on the opening weekend.
The low-budget movie opened to superb reviews from critics. It has since made more than Rs15 crore at the box office.
The movie stars debutants Ponvel and Raghul in the lead roles, alongside Kalaiyarasan, Nikhila Vimal, J. Satish Kumar, Dhivya Duraisamy, Janaki, Priyanka Nair and Nivedita Rajappan.
Santosh Narayanan composed the tunes.
Vaazhai’s success can be credited to its powerful storyline and stellar acting.
Based on true events from Selvaraj’s life, the film tells the story of 12-year-old Sivanandhan, his mother, sister and friend who navigate life’s challenges.
The rural drama depicts the lives of workers fighting for dignity against exploitation and poverty, and a plantain tree – or Vaazhai – becomes a central presence in the story.
At its core, Vaazhai is a brilliant portrait of resilience. Sivanainthan is a born rebel.
He hates lugging around the bananas that his family is forced to cultivate. So, he manages to find a way to get out of this rigmarole.
Director S. Shankar said: “Vaazhai is a film that leaves a deep impact. I still haven’t been able to come out of the effect the movie created. The pain of the Tharai children carrying the vaazhai is something you can feel. From now on, whenever I see bananas, I will remember the actors from the film.”
The film marks Selvaraj’s first foray into film production.
The director and his wife have produced the film under their banner Navvi Studios, in association with Disney+ Hotstar.
