Date:02/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/02/stories/2006090219880200.htm

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Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Kamal's latest sets the cash registers ringing

S.R. Ashok Kumar

Producer Manicam Narayanan says the film faced a lot of problems

First week reports proclaim VV to be a box office success
Wrangling delayed release of the multi-crore movie

Problems began

Manicam Narayanan

CHENNAI: Kamal Haasan-starrer `Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu' (VV) is a box office success, if the first week's reports are to be believed.

This is heartening news for the film's producer, Manicam Narayanan, who says that the film faced a record set of problems while it was still being shot.

The problem began on the very first day. Wrangling delayed the release of the multi-crore movie mainly because creditors of Kaja Moihdeen, who first started the project, kept insisting that the new producer pay them before releasing the film.

It is a sordid tale, says Manicam Narayanan, as he narrates his woes. It all began last year when Kaja Moihdeen requested Mr. Narayanan to take over VV. After receiving several pleading calls from Kaja Moihdeen, Mr. Narayanan says that he gave in to the pressure and took up production of the movie though it cost him several crores.

"I had no time to think, and was under tremendous pressure. I took up the project mainly to save Kaja Moihdeen. This happened on October 22, 2005." The producer says he put in his money the same day.

The crew flew to the US on October 24.

But, Mr. Narayanan claims, problems cropped up when the old creditors of Kaja Moihdeen began to suddenly seek a settlement from him before VV's release, although he had nothing to do with the film. Another group demanded the release of `Perarasu' before VV. This led to big losses for him, he added.

It was 10 months of agony for the filmmakers before the movie released last week, including a period of keeping a lawyer on standby in the courts to prevent anyone from getting a stay of the movie release.

Now, the producer is not hopeful of getting back his investment. Why then did he take it up? "Mainly because a good film should not be in the cans." He just wanted to end the task he had taken up without leaving it incomplete. "We wanted to save our distributors as they had trusted us totally and bought the film."

Solace

He finds solace in the cooperation of the technicians and artists, and the news that the movie is making record collections at the box office ... after facing a record set of problems.