Udhayanidhi Stalin on upcoming projects, politics and Hansika
Manithan, produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin under his production banner Red Giant Movies, released this Friday - April 29.
Manithan is directed by I Ahmed (of Vaamanan and Endrendrum Punnagai fame) and stars Stalin, Hansika and Prakash Raj among others. The film is a Tamil remake of the Hindi film, Jolly LLB starring Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani.
Newsable caught up with the producer-actor. Here are excerpts from the conversation -Â
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Regarding Manithan:Â
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Udhaynidhi said, "Unlike Jolly LLB, which was a courtroom comedy, Manithan will be an emotional courtroom drama with all the elements of a commercial film. We wanted to suit the movie to Tamil audiences. Yes, it is a remake but we have changed a lot of things to suit Tamil audiences."
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Regarding his co-workers:
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He considers Hansika very lucky for him. He said, "Hansika is perhaps my luckiest heroine. I don't know where she gets her energy. If we happen to work together again, be it the sequel or another project, it will be a hat trick. Compared to the Hindi version, Hansika has been given more screen space in the film owing to the importance of her role."
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On Red Giant Movies and upcoming projects:
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Udhaynidhi agrees that Red Giant Movies has started doing better since his foray into acting. "Definitely. I have got my market now. I have been concentrating more in acting than production. I have a lot of workload on my table now. "
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On working for other banners, He said, "I will be willing to work on other production films as well if I get to work with a good director. "
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"In fact, I shall soon be working outside my banner for the first time on a Thenandal Films production. We are yet to finalise the director," he said.
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On his acting range:
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"My wife, Kiruthigha, has done her debut directorial in Vanakkam Chennai. She is working on a couple of scripts which demands the protagonist to give a very emotional performance. I told her, that and all I can't do ya, let's go for a big hero for these (laughs). I have been trying comedy more than anything else in my stint as an actor. I have just about started experimenting." he said.
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With regards to the ongoing theatre controversy and the Nadigar Sangam body:
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In an ongoing controversy which has taxes and profit-sharing margins at its heart, some theatres in Chengalpet, Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur areas did not screen the recently released Ilayathalapathy Vijay's Theri.
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Following that, the Producers Council body had declared that henceforth big releases would only release in those theatres which had screened the film.
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Udhayanidhi made it clear that Manithan will release in every theatre.
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"I never approached the Producers Council for anything regarding entertainment tax issue. Of course, it's totally a political vendetta. But Vijay sir is a big star with a huge fan base and big releases. They can afford to sacrifice a few screens. Sorry, I cannot afford to lose screens. We will need as many screens for a wider reach of our audiences." Udhayanidhi said.
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On politics around the dinner table:
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Hailing from a political family background - father M K Stalin, grandfather DMK supremo M Karunanidhi, the politics is unavoidable. But Udhayanidhi doesn't comment on it.
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"Yes, at home, when with family, I do discuss politics, but not in public. I am concentrating on films and filmmaking which takes a lot of my time. About the forthcoming legislative assembly elections, all I can say is that May 16 is the polling date. May 19, the results will be out. The people are smart and they know what to do." he said.