Breaking News! News has just come in that that Gautham Vasudeva Menon’s magnum opus Vaaranam Aayiram, will not light up this Diwali on October 27!
This has come as a major disappointment for Surya and Gautham fans across the globe who were eager to watch the film during the festival weekend.
According to sources in the trade, the film has been postponed to November 14, nearly three weeks after the festival.
The main reason is that the trade on the film, selling of distribution areas is going slow. Added to that in smaller stations all the good screens has been taken over by Aegan and Seval.
The Telugu rights of the film are yet to be finalized. The Kerala distributor has made it clear he will release the film only two weeks after the release of the Malayalam mega multi-starrer Twenty:20, opening on October 30.
The overseas distributor of the film has to get theatres, as Aegan has grabbed all the screens this Diwali. Two big Tamil films cannot be accommodated at the same time in FMS area.
It is a very good decision taken by Gautham and his new partner in “Cloud Nine”, who will be marketing the film in Tamilnadu. A solo release on Nov 14 worldwide will ensure more screens and a bumper opening.
Vaaranam Aayiram postponed to Nov 14
Censors certify all Diwali releases
All the films due for Diwali have been censored. The regional censor board and its members saw on Sunday (Oct 19), back to back the three remaining films due for Diwali- Aegan, Vaaranam Aayiram, Seval.
Aegan has been given a ‘U’ certificate, with some cuts.
Now all Diwali films have been censored and raedy for release. All the producers of Diwali films are keeping the release date close to their heart. It is almost certain that these films will either release on Sunday (Oct 26) or Diwali day (Oct 27)
Gautham buys back Vaaranam Aayiram from Gemini
In a sensational development, Gautham Menon has brought back the Tamilnadu theatrical rights of his magnum opus Vaaranam Aayiram from Gemini Picture Circuit (GPC), for a rumoured price of Rs 21 crore!
The trade is dazed by this news. Remember we had reported a few days back how VA Tamilnadu theatrical rights were sold for Rs 14 crore to GPC, by Gautham after the original producer refused to hike the price, as the film was done on first copy basis.
Now GPC, is a making cool Rs 7 crore profit on their investment made more than a year back. Gautham wants to be in total charge of the project as the film is an ode to his father Vasudeva Menon, who passed away last year. He wants the film to release for Diwali (Oct 27), at all cost.
All the vexing issues regarding the film have now been sorted out. Gautham’s own Photon Factory will now look after the films release. The skeptics in the trade say Gautham’s buy back of Tamilnadu theatrical rights was at a very high price.
Can a Surya film recover the Rs 21 crore from theatres in the state? His last release Vel a super hit has done business worth only Rs 14 crore from TN theatres.
But Gautham is confident that Vaaranam Aayiram will be a mega hit if it is released this Diwali, and he will surely cover his cost. Gautham Vasudeva Menon, has once again proved that he is Kollywood’s gutsy trendsetter and a man willing to take risks.
