In 1990, after more than a decade in the film industry, a young assistant director finally got the chance to make his first film, from one of the biggest names in the industry: producer RB Choudary. And to everyone’s surprise, the aspiring filmmaker is hesitant to direct the script. His reason was that it was a suspense thriller with violent scenes and dark themes, and he was not sure if the audience of the time would like it. However, after much consideration, he starts working on the film. 'Puriyaadha Pudhir' was a commercial success and launched the career of one of Tamil cinema’s successful and prolific filmmakers, KS Ravikumar.
Now, venturing a third time into film production (after 'Thenali' and 'Koogle Kuttappa'), KS Ravikumar is gearing up to release 'Hit List', a psychological thriller. Directed by debutants Sooryakathir Kaakkallar and K Karthikeyan, the film introduces actor Vijay Kanishka, son of veteran director Vikraman. When asked if his fears about this violent genre have been quelled over the years, the filmmaker responds, “I wouldn’t have agreed to do this film if my opinion about the genre didn’t evolve.
This is what the people want now. They like action. Back then, they wouldn’t even come to watch horror films, let alone thrillers. Even adults used to avoid horror films but now even kids love watching horror. I think it is because of the explosion of content. Now, people are desensitized, they are used to the thrills so they want more.” Ravikumar goes on to spot how the idea of ‘family films’ has evolved into something else.
“I think the audience got bored of films revolving entirely around family sentiments. Even a family entertainer like 'Aranmanai 4' leverages the dark extent of its genre and has violent scenes like decapitation, and people enjoy that. The film also has an old-school mix of commercial elements like family sentiments and romance, comedy, and kid-friendly scenes.”