If film can set record even after film release means then it should be 'Mersal'

Mersal is creating records from time to time even when they released first look, twitter emoji, teaser, aalaporan tamizhan single & even after release whole country took a look on GST ISSUE & now it being telecasted in Zee Tamil on ocassion of Pongal & already whole tamilnadu glued to the channel there is no doubt in creating new TRP records to make more special for the first time in television history channel played Aalaporan Tamizhan song for twice & this should be first kind during a movie premiere & it added extra celebration among thalapathy fans Mersal ​is the film where it should be noted it is celebrated in two festival season from Diwali to Pongal.

Chennai: A petition was on Monday filed in the Madras High Court for a direction to revoke the censor certificate issued for Vijay-starrer Tamil movie, 'Mersal'.

The petitioner, advocate A Ashvathaman, alleged that the film was full of "wrong propaganda about India and fake dialogues and scenes which obviously leads to misconception about the new taxation system of India and the Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 to the viewers."


"No picture shall be certified for public exhibition which will lower the moral standards of those who see it and the prevailing laws shall not be so ridiculed as to create sympathy for violation of such laws," he said.
The petitioner sought a direction from the court to revoke the censor certificate issued to the film besides an interim stay on the public exhibition of the movie.

The movie, released on October 18, has kicked up a row with the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit taking exception to references about GST in the movie.

The BJP had objected to what it termed were "untruths" regarding the GST in the film and wanted dialogues on the central taxation to be deleted.

However, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, senior party leader P Chidambaram, DMK working president M K Stalin, veteran star Kamal Haasan and a host of Tamil cinema industry representatives have come out in support of the film crew on the issue.

A MADURAI-BASED ADVOCATE FILED THE COMPLAINT.

A Madurai based advocate has filed a complaint against Tamil actor Vijay over the dialogues in Mersal, said a police official."A complaint has been received against actor Vijay. An acknowledgement for receipt of the complaint has been issued. No first information report (FIR) had been lodged," a police official in Anna Nagar police station in Madurai told IANS over phone on Monday.

Temple town Madurai is around 500 km from Chennai.

Mersal is in the midst of a controversy after the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded the removal of certain dialogues which take a dig at the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Digital India.

Directed by Atlee, Mersal stars Vijay in the roles of a village head, a doctor and a magician. It is doing brisk business at the box office.

BJP's National Secretary H. Raja and Tamil Nadu BJP President Tamilisai Soundararajan criticised Vijay and the movie for the dialogues critical of GST and Digital India.

The BJP leaders said the dialogues were factually incorrect.

In a tweet on Monday, Soundararajan said like the freedom to express views, one has the freedom to rebut wrong views.

Raja, who raked up the actor's Christian origin by his tweet "Joseph Vijay's hatred for Modi is Mersal" on October 21, continued that on Monday. 
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He uploaded the actor's voter identity card and a letter written by the actor to a magazine on his letter pad.

"Truth is bitter," tweeted Raja on Monday uploading the two documents to underscore Vijay's religion.

Vijay, who had met Narendra Modi during electioneering ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, had even lauded demonetisation last year.

THE ONGOING CONTROVERSY OVER THE FILM, REPORTEDLY GAVE THE PRODUCERS A DIFFICULT TIME.

The Vijay starrer Mersal released to packed houses on Diwali, October 18, 2017 but it was embroiled in controversy over the inclusion of certain scenes; particularly those about the GST.

While this has irked BJP leaders in Chennai as they claim that it was aimed at the BJP-led Union government, the producer of the Telugu version of Mersalseems to be the most affected.

The original plan was to release Mersal and its Telugu version Adhirindi simultaneously, but the delay in procuring the censor certificate for Adhirindi made it impossible for the film to release on time.

Producer Sharath Marrar had made all arrangements by pumping in huge amounts of money for the release in Andhra and Telangana region but the delay in obtaining the censor certificate had stalled the release.

Sources in the tinsel town say that obtaining a censor certificate for a film that has already been certified is simple, but the ongoing controversy over the inclusion of some scenes against the government, made things worse for the Tollywood producer Sharath Marrar.

The producer is keen on having the film released soon as he wants to cash in on the huge success of its Tamil version. Further, with pirated clips of some scenes spreading on social media, chances are that movie buffs may not go to the theatres.

While the release of Adhirindi looked bleak a few days ago, all hurdles have been cleared now and reports are that the film will be out on October 26.

Mersal, starring Vijay in triple roles, has Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Nithya Menen and Kajal Agarwal playing the female leads. The film has been directed by Atlee and produced by N Ramasamy, Hema Rukmani, R Mahendran and H Murali under the banner Thenandal Studio Limited.

AR Rahman has composed music for this flick with GK Vishnu cranking the camera and Ruben editing it.
With Vijay having a good fan base in Andhra and Telangana, hope the Telugu version hits the marquee soon.

The next time you meet Kajal Aggarwal, here are few things that you could remember about her : 1) She’s too busy to fiddle with her phone and is active on social media only when her film is about to release, 2) She can’t stand the cold and prefers to use fans over the air-conditioner while shooting, 3) She’s obsessed with books. And when she says she’s busy, she really means it. One day she could be addressing the media in Chennai, but the very next day, she could be in Hyderabad, or any other place in India attending an event or launching a new brand. So, when she finally begins talking to us, Kajal makes it a point to inform us about where she has been and why it took her so long to schedule this chat. “I’m shooting for a song for my next Telugu film (titled MLA) in Nirmal in Telangana these days. I can’t tell you how hectic it has been, so far. And then, I’m off to shooting for the Tamil remake of Queen,” she smiles, as she begins to talk. There’s no trace of fatigue in her voice, and how she manages to be so enthusiastic, whether it’s on screen or in real life, is a million dollar question indeed.
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Before she moves on to her next film — Paris Paris, the Tamil remake of Kangana Ranaut’s Queen — Kajal will be seen in Mersal (Adhirindhi in Telugu), directed by Atlee, for which she’s paired opposite Vijay. It’s their third collaboration after Thuppaki and Jilla, and Kajal says that this time, it was the social message in the film that really sealed the deal for her. “I loved the story and the social message that Atlee wanted to give through the film. He’s a very hardworking director. Moreover, he’s got fresh ideas and his presentation is quite contemporary,” Kajal says.

The film, according to several reports, deals with the corruption in the medical industry, and how a doctor and a magician team up to put an end to this menace. Kajal is paired opposite the ‘magician’ Vijay in the film, and her character works in the medical field.

Ask her about working with Vijay once again, Kajal says, “He’s one of the most talented, genuine, and hard-working actors in our industry. I feel that he’s so good with his job that he raises the bar for everyone around him. No matter what character he plays, his versatility and his craft genuinely comes through, and it’s very interesting to be paired opposite him in different roles in different films because it challenges you to up your game, and I think that’s why our pair has been appreciated.”
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The duo had shot extensively in Macedonia and few other places in Europe, and it was here that Kajal picked up a trick or two from Raman Sharma, a Canadian magician who was training Vijay in the film. “I wanted to show off few tricks to my friends back home. It’s all about how convincing you are,” she laughs. However, the moment she recalls shooting in Europe, her tone changes completely. Apart from Mersal, Kajal had also shot for Vivegam, Khaidi No 150 in Europe. “I spent nearly eight months in Europe, and I was so harrowed and homesick in the end! And now, I’m going there again for Paris, Paris [laughs]. I can’t stand the cold climate. Even right now, I’m more than happy with a fan in my room. In my vanity van, I keep switching off the air-conditioner. When I’m in front of the camera, nothing matters to me, but when I don’t have a shot, I really struggle to keep myself warm with all sorts of things, like hot tea, hot water, blankets and jackets,” Kajal adds.

The year 2017 has been a big one for her with huge projects to her credit in Telugu and Tamil. While Khaidi No 150 turned out to be a blockbuster in Telugu in the beginning of this year, Vivegam too was a money-spinner in Tamil. And she earned good reviews for her role in Teja’s Nene Raju Nene Mantri, which was arguably the first time in recent years that she got a well-rounded character. No matter how thrilled she is about how things are going on, Kajal won’t say if this is the best phase of her career. “I have never looked at my career that way. I feel that the phase which began in 2007 is still continuing, and in all honesty, I haven’t had the time to contemplate any of this because I’ve been busy with work. When I’m not travelling, then I’m spending time with my family and friends. This has been my priority all these years,” she confesses, adding, “I’m glad that people have appreciated my work so far and I would like to believe that it’s because of the roles I’ve done. There comes a phase in an actor’s life where you get recognised for what you do, and after that, your goals keep changing. I want to do quality work now and to do roles that are very emotionally satisfying.”
For the most part of her career, Kajal has been cast as a happy-and-bubbly girl in most of her films, and she admits that it has been her “trademark” for several years. “I haven’t 'mastered the art' of being happy and bubbly [laughs]. It comes naturally to me, because I’m like that in my real life. What’s challenging for me is playing the mature roles. I mean, I still get offered the fun roles, but I can’t be as enthusiastic as I was in a film like Darling. When you are young, you are as enthusiastic and bubbly as they show in films. But as you grow, you are taken more seriously. So, you sort of mature from being a hyper-enthusiastic young woman to a more serious performer. I think that’s what happened with Nene Raju Nene Mantri. It was a leap of faith for both Teja (the director) and me, because I hadn’t done a role like that. He has seen me grow right from the beginning of my career, and he knows what I can or can’t do. And I felt that no one else could have extracted such emotional performances from us other than Teja. I must also add that I’m quite enjoying the duality of roles being offered to me,” Kajal says.

Kajal is one of the most popular actors in South Indian cinema, and her fan following in the virtual world is immense. She’s quite aware of all this and she confesses that this adulation has often pushed her into thinking how she can justify the love. “People have always perceived me as their daughter or someone whom they are very protective about. I’ll always be very grateful and humbled by the fact that people consider me as their own, and that’s the biggest achievement of my career. What has changed in recent times is that the audiences want me to do newer stuff and I get that vibe a lot. That’s also a reason why a film like Paris, Paris feel so relevant at this point of my career,” she avers, adding, “I can’t relate to the character at all. It’s going to be a big challenge for me to be that naive because my upbringing has been quite different. I’ve had a lot of exposure to the world, thanks to my family. And my friends, extended family have always been very supportive. For the character that I play in the film, she’s from a simple background who hasn’t seen the world yet. It’s going to be a challenge. I have to be as naive as I possibly can…this has got nothing to do with innocence. That comes naturally to me, but not naivety.”
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Directed by Ramesh Aravind, Paris, Paris is the Tamil remake of Kangana Ranaut’s Queen, and it narrates the story of a young girl who goes on a soul-searching trip after her fiance calls off their wedding. “A breakup is a breakup no matter which part of the world you are from. Is there a trick to dealing with a breakup? I don’t know. Perhaps, I would probably do the same thing which the character does, and I wouldn’t go back to the guy possibly. But, having said that, situations are different for different people. It’s just about how you deal with it and what sets your mind free and finding that little zone of happiness. I’m sure millions of women will relate to the movie and that’s why we are remaking it. It’s a very empowering film.”

The film also addresses aspects like finding oneself and liberating the mind, and it’s this transformation that the protagonist goes through that is both inspiring and endearing. And we couldn’t help but wonder if Kajal had this moment of epiphany where she saw her whole life change because of a certain incident. She broods over it for several minutes and finally says, “My parents come from a traditional and conservative family, but they are very liberal in their thought process. They have been extremely supportive of my choices, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. In a way, societal norms don’t affect them. I couldn’t be more grateful about this, because they have raised my sister and me with a sense of equality, nurturing, pride, love. There was always an envelope of protection and shelter, but we were also thrown into the real world to deal with issues on our own. I haven’t had a moment of epiphany in my life, like how the character in Paris, Paris would have….it’s very different for me and girls like me. It’s not about whether one is better than another; I’m not judgmental. I have had several breakthroughs both personally or professionally; however, I haven’t had that one single moment where realisation hits you and you aren’t the same person anymore.”

While she confesses to being open to new experiences, there’s one thing that is resisting with all the power that she can muster. “I don’t want to get too addicted to my phone and social media. My parents are so fed up that they can’t reach me instantly [laughs]. On a serious note, social media has crept into our lives so much that we have started prioritising what's virtual over the real, and I don’t want that to happen to me. I’m making a very conscious effort to keep things real, and my world is filled with books, movies, friends, who keep me connected to reality,” Kajal signs off.
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Back in 2001, when SJ Suryah directed Khushi with Pawan Kalyan in lead role, it went on to become the biggest hit ever in the actor's career. SJ Suryah became an overnight sensation in Telugu cinema, and having already made his mark in Tamil cinema, he was touted as one of the most interesting filmmakers to watch out for in South Indian cinema. But little did anyone expect that he had no plans to stick to directing films for the rest of his life. No, he had something else on his mind — the dream of becoming a lead actor.
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“Back in the '90s, no one was ready to cast me as a lead actor or produce my films. So I had to direct films to make a name for myself,” SJ Suryah recounts with a laugh. With his terrific performance in AR Murugadoss’ Spyder making a solid impression, it’s hard to forget his laughter even in the midst of a casual conversation. In Spyder, he kills people for fun and derives sadistic pleasure when he hears others cry, and breaks into laughter. It’s this psychopathic streak of the character (Bhairavudu), SJ Suryah admits, that caught his attention. “The role was quite intense and on top of that, he’s a psychopath. It’s a challenge for any actor, and at the same time, whenever you get a chance to do something unusual, you feel all charged up. I figured out that the role is going to be quite challenging when Murugadoss began narrating the story. I was on a high,” he recalls.

In mid-2016, Suryah was on the verge of directing the Telugu remake of Veeram with Pawan Kalyan in the lead role. However, just before the film was supposed to go on floors, SJ Suryah shocked everyone when he opted out of the project to focus on his acting career. No one had guessed that he was quite serious about his plans, and looking at the way he has been flooded with offers, especially in Tamil cinema, it’s evident that he has finally found his groove. “Before I turned director, I was scared that I would end up becoming an unsuccessful actor or remain as a junior artiste for the rest of my life. Thankfully, that didn’t happen [laughs]. Now, I couldn’t be happier with the way things are going on. I have three more films where I’m playing a lead, and at the moment, I have no plans to direct a film,” he says.
Post-Spyder, SJ Suryah is betting big on Atlee’s Mersal, which will also release in Telugu as Adhirindhi. “I spent the last few months juggling between the sets of Spyder and Mersal (Adhirindhi). The switch between the two characters was also a big task and it was a great opportunity for me to explore two extremely different characters. While I played a dark role in Spyder, when it comes to Adhirindhi (Mersal), I’m playing a very stylish role and my look is going to be very classy. Like Daniel Craig! You’ll have to watch the film to see why I loved the role so much. The flashback episode is going to be amazing,” he explains.
Although he had made up his mind that he would continue playing lead roles after earning rave reviews for his role in Karthik Subbaraj’s Iraivi, SJ Suryah admits that he made an exception for these two films. “I admire both Murugadoss and Atlee a lot. Moreover, the concepts they told me were quite interesting. I also felt that playing such negative roles will help me to take a big leap in future when I play lead roles. For instance, take Shah Rukh Khan — I feel that his performances in films like Baazigar and Darr helped him a lot when he became a hero. Both Murugadoss and Atlee were very clear about what they wanted, and they have immense faith and respect for other technicians. I was in safe hands [laughs]. I pretty much made an exception for these two films, but I won’t mind doing such negative roles again provided the the character is powerful and exciting enough for me. Otherwise, there’s no point. I’ll continue to play lead roles.”

In Mersal (Adhirindhi), SJ Suryah is pitted against Vijay. The two had previously collaborated in 2000 when the SJ Suryah directed Vijay, Jyothika-starrer Kushi which went on to become a huge hit. And 17 years later, they are back together in the same fold, although in different avatars. “He’s become a huge star now, but at the same time, his stardom hasn’t changed him as a person. He has become all the more focused as an actor and humble as a person. The film will be a testimony to his star power and I’m confident that the Telugu version too will be received very well by the audiences. You’ll see a brand new Vijay in the film. Atlee is a wonderful actor too and he is very particular about what he wants from his actors. So, he would enact every scene during the narration. That helped me a lot. I adapted a lot of his body language to play my role,” he says, adding, “I’ve often been asked if I find it tough to just stick to acting and not interfere in the director’s ways nowadays. The truth is, I follow the designation quite strictly [laughs]. If I’m an actor, I will not unlock my creative knowledge beyond what is expected from me. I became a director to make SJ Suryah an actor. And I won’t do anything to change that equation now [laughs].”
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Of late, a string of poorly written roles for villains had a ripple effect on the film experience itself. Why would you root for a hero if his nemesis isn’t strong enough? Under these circumstances, an actor like SJ Suryah has made a sea of difference. AR Murugadoss has already showed us what the actor is capable of doing, and now, all eyes are on Atlee. “The biggest take away after doing a villainous role in Adhirindhi (Mersal),” SJ Suryah says, “has been that when you approach a scene with a subtle performance, whether it’s dark or stylish, it reaches people a lot more than when you do a loud character. You have to truly believe in what you are doing and also, avoid doing cliched stuff. These days, people aren’t really bothered about what you do. They care about how you it and how well you play that role. Look at Aamir Khan — he might have done a lot of action and romantic films, but in Dangal, he played an old man, who loses against his own daughter, and then in the climax, he barely has a role to play. But everything he did in the film won him a lot of respect and appreciation. It’s by backing such good scripts that you become a true hero. You don’t have throw in a few punches and kick the goons.”

Sometimes, all it takes is to laugh and laugh when others cry. Or you could be a cool dude who matches a superstar eye to eye, and still make an impression as a villain. Whatever the case maybe, SJ Suryah is living his dream at the moment. Period.
Mersal (Adhirindhi in Telugu), directed by Atlee, is slated for release on 18 October.

Producer Hema Rukmani of Thenandal Studios Limited, is in the midst of spearheading a comprehensive promotional strategy for TSL's 100th production Mersal — and tackling the various roadblocks that come up in the days before a film's release. The producer sat down for a chat with Itz Chennai about the last-minute issues surrounding the project, Vijay's readiness to walk the extra mile, and director Atlee's portrayal of women characters.

"Regardless of the budget of a film, we always go through this pre-release tension. It's all part and parcel of the process. Just because it's a big budget film, it's magnified. The problem depends on how big the budget and the target is. Every producer faces hell and heaven before the film hits the screens. And, everybody is in touch with us; we are all friends and working towards it. Lakhs of people have put in their efforts for the film, and we have all their support," 
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Even if you hardly follow Tamil film industry, the odds are that you might have stumbled upon some of the promotional campaigns of Team Mersal. In fact, the film marks a lot of firsts for the southern film industry. Mersal is the first South Indian movie to trademark its title. It also has a character emoji curated by Twitter for various movie-related hashtags.

"Since it is our 100th film, we decided to do something as innovative as possible. We have a very young and vibrant team, and Murali (Murali Ramasamy, CEO of Thenandal Films and Rukmani's husband) is very passionate about doing things differently. He contributed a lot of ideas himself, and I executed some of those. Today we are glued to Facebook and Twitter, so instead of us trying to market our film, we decided to give that happiness to Vijay sir's fans, because they celebrate Vijay sir more than anyone. Now they are promoting the film, and it's a tremendous team working for the film's success," said Hema.

Although a lot of issues plague the release of the film, Hema says actor Vijay is quite upbeat, in a positive frame of mind and is calmly looking forward to the movie's release on 18 October, in time for Diwali.

"Vijay sir is thrilled with the kind of comfort we as a production company provided him, the support his fans lent during the audio launch, the amount of work Atlee has contributed and Rahman sir's music. He is delighted and looking forward to the Diwali release," said Hema.

Hema said Vijay didn't have starry airs at all and was very cooperative on set. She was part of the entire Europe schedule, where significant portions have been canned, as the on-site producer.

"Vijay sir liked the serenity of Europe. The hotel we stayed was above a shopping mall, and he even asked us if there's any good shop to purchase things. But I don't think we gave him the time to shop [smiles]. He was very cooperative and always there on time for the shoot, every single day.  Irrespective of how strenuous the previous day was, he had never asked us to reschedule or postpone the shoot. Rain or shine, he was there," recalled Hema.

The off-screen to on-screen transformation of Vijay has surprised a lot of his co-stars in the past. Hema Rukmani, who watched him perform at close quarters in Europe, was taken aback by the firebrand performer in him the moment the camera started rolling.
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"In Chennai, I mostly had to witness his performance live on the monitor since hundreds of people will surround him. But in Europe, I got the chance to behold the magic. It was such a revelation for me when the calm Vijay would transform into something else after the word 'action'. If there were any technical glitches and we ask him for one more (shot), there would always be a lovely improvisation. And his sense of continuity was unbelievable. For others, we have to remember the shot, but for him, it was never needed," said Hema.

Vijay's equation with children has been a favourite theme to explore for filmmakers who have worked with him over the years. Atlee, who sketched his debut collaboration with Vijay (Theri) on a father-daughter equation, has written a magician's role in the film for the star, which is said to be a major attraction for kids.

"Vijay sir insisted that he would do the magic tricks himself. There were three magicians on the set. Raman, an Indian-Canadian magician, was utterly zapped and said that Vijay sir learned the tricks faster than he did. He said he was glad that Vijay sir was not in this profession [laughs]. He possesses the style, so it was just a cakewalk for him. I guess there are around 16 magic scenes and no CGI was employed; Vijay sir entirely did the sequences by himself," revealed Hema Rukmani, about one of the three roles essayed by Vijay in the film.

Prod her about the most talked-about panchayat head role played by Vijay in the film, Hema said, "When we saw him on the sets with the rudraksha and holy ashes, we seriously felt like greeting him in respect. I told him a hundred times that it's his best look. A mass hero should be an excellent performer for the audiences to believe that he is larger than life. Vijay sir is one such performer. Whenever a superstar takes on a villager's role, we like it a lot. There is some naivety about him in that part, with innate goodness."

In Mersal, Vijay will be seen opposite Nithya Menen in the 50-minute flashback portion of the film. He also co-stars with Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Kajal Aggarwal, who are teaming up with him for the third time.
"I think the star couple of this movie would be Vijay-Nithya Menen. Even after the film gets over, their sequences will linger in your mind. Nithya Menen represents every innocent married woman. Kajal and Vijay sir will be bubbly and cute together onscreen. It will be kind of a classy portion. Sam and Vijay sir's sequence have much importance in the film. Despite her wedding preparations, Samantha has dubbed in her own voice and done a great job," concludes Hema

The film has been confirmed to release in 3,292 screens worldwide, making it possibly the biggest ever release for a Tamil film.

With just a week to go for Vijay's Mersal, theatres across the globe are finalising screens for the film. Riding on high expectations, Mersal as of Tuesday, has been confirmed to release in 3,292 screens worldwide, making it possibly the biggest ever release for a Tamil film. 
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Hema Rukmani, director of Sri Thenandal Studios, the makers of the film, posted on her Twitter page on Tuesday and confirmed the screen count. The number is expected to grow in the next few days and might even touch 4,000 screens, according to reliable sources. 

In Tamil Nadu, the film is expected to open in 700 screens, amid rumours that the release might be postponed due to the ongoing tussle between the Tamil Nadu Film Chamber of Commerce and the state government over double taxation. In Kerala, the film has been confirmed to open in 350 screens, surpassing the previous record held by Baahubali 2 which opened on 320 screens. Mersal, in Malaysia, is expected to release in 800 screens which is a record of sorts. 
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In Mersal, Vijay will be seen playing a panchayat head, a doctor, and a magician. To play the role of the magician, he was tutored by three popular magicians for the characters. They helped him learn some magic tricks. According to well-known magician Gogo Requiem, the magic potion in Mersal will be astonishing. 
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The film, which also stars Kajal Aggarwal, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Nithya Menen, marks the second collaboration of Atlee and Vijay. Produced by Sri Thenandal Studios, the film has music by AR Rahman and also stars SJ Suryah in a key role.