'Kottukkaali achieved 70% of what I wanted it to achieve. I am fine with it': Sivakarthikeyan
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When Tamil star Sivakarthikeyan announced in January 2023 that he would produce award-winning film Koozhangal (Pebbles) director’s next, people were curious to know what kind of a film this would be. Director PS Vinothraj’s debut film Pebbles was produced by Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan and won critical acclaim around the world. Kottukkaali (The Adamant Girl) was the director’s next and once again it was set in rural Tamil Nadu and told us about a young girl’s life. Soori and Anna Ben starred in the film that won rave reviews but got mixed reactions from the Tamil audience.
Was prepared for all reviews
Speaking exclusively to Mobile Masala about this film, Sivakarthikeyan opened up about the mixed reviews Kottukkaali received. “I was always mentally prepared for both positive and negative reviews about this film. I accept all the positive comments and reviews I received for the movie as well as the criticism. I knew this was not a regular commercial film the Tamil audience was used to and it was going to something new for them. This is why I didn’t want the film to have an extensive theatrical release and limited it to around 120 screens. I could have easily released it in 300 theatres and recovered the money on the first day itself. Since it was a new type of film, I didn’t want anyone else to face losses and distributed it myself. Yes, there were some losses but I am fine with that – it achieved 70% of what I wanted it to achieve. Now, when someone else makes a film like this, the audience will appreciate it more. The movie was released on Amazon Prime Video and it is being highly appreciated on OTT,” said Sivakarthikeyan.
Proud of Kottukkali
Given that Kottukkaali was not a run-of-the-mill Tamil flick, was the Amaran star happy being producer and about the mark it made in global film festivals? “Yes, I am very proud of producing this film! These are the kind of stories that should also be told. Soori was perfect for the role of Paandi and we needed to ensure that it doesn’t affect the stardom or popularity he achieved with other films like Viduthalai and Garudan,” Sivakarthikeyan said with pride. He also added that he was happy with the appreciation he received from Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan who commended him for producing a gutsy film like this and lauded the director and the lead actors.
