Pongal next year is going to be a busy month for the Tamil film industry, as after a gap of six years, Vijay and Ajith, perhaps among Tamil cinema’s biggest stars, are clashing at the box office with their respective films Varisu and Thunivu. The last such face-off between the two stars happened in 2014 as Vijay’s Jilla and Ajith’s Veeram were released on that year’s Pongal. Now, the two actors, who command huge fanbase in the state, are back for a box office tussle. However, director H Vinoth, the director of Thunivu, hopes for a win-win situation in this competition.
In an interview with India Today, Vinoth said that he wants both films to do good business and it would be unfortunate otherwise. He was quoted as saying, “The way I see it is that both these stars have worked hard to build their careers over decades and build such massive popularity and fan following. When both Ajith and Vijay’s films release together, it’s very important that both do good business.”
He further added, “The teams of both projects have worked hard to make sure they give great films for the audience. My prayer is that both the films should be loved by the audience and does good business.”
Thunivu marks his third collaboration with Ajith, and in a conversation with Indian Express, the director said that Thunivu will be an out-and-out commercial venture and would be a good film. He said, “It will have all the elements of a commercial entertainer. It is a story about money. It is a game of the wicked.”
Other than Ajith, Thunivu, produced by Boney Kapoor, stars Manju Warrier, Samuthirakani, and John Kokken in pivotal roles. It has music by Ghibran. On the other hand, Varisu, directed by Vamsi Paidipally, has Rashmika Mandanna, Sarathkumar, Prabhu, and Shaam in important roles.