‘It’s a flop here’: Vijay was warned against doing Kaavalan, but the remake saved his career
Vijay, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, faced four consecutive years of box-office setbacks before he was rescued by a Malayalam director. The director, Siddique, revealed how Vijay's wish to make the film in Tamil first fell through and that he regularly received phone cal…
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Vijay's career was going through a tough phase when he was rescued by a Malayalam director, Siddique, who made a romantic comedy that put Vijay back on the map. The film, Kaavalan, was a remake of a Malayalam film, Bodyguard, and also received a Hindi remake, which too became a massive success.
Vijay, a big star in India, was having a tough time with his movies not doing well. He was worried that his next movie, Kaavalan, would also fail. But the director, Siddique, convinced him to make the movie and it turned out to be a huge success. This was a turning point in Vijay's career and he became a superstar again.
Analysis
A Career on the Brink: Vijay's Pre-Kaavalan Struggles
Vijay, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, was one of the biggest superstars in Indian cinema when he retired to focus on politics and state administration. However, that wasn't always the case throughout his career. In fact, there was a period that lasted about four years when his films underperformed back-to-back. Despite being known for actioners during that phase of his career, it was actually a romantic comedy that put Vijay back on the map, and interestingly, it was a remake of a Malayalam film.
The Birth of Kaavalan: A Tamil Remake of Bodyguard
At the time of Kaavalan's release, Vijay was going through a tough phase in his career, not having delivered any major successes since Pokkiri (2007). Despite being a massive star, with all his movies arriving amidst high anticipation, Vijay's Azhagiya Tamil Magan (2007), Kuruvi (2008), Villu (2009), Vettaikaaran (2009), and Sura (2010) underperformed. The work on Kaavalan began at a time when the actor desperately needed a bona fide box-office hit. However, Vijay kept getting calls from Kerala saying Bodyguard was a flop and that he shouldn't do it. Vijay called Siddique and said, 'Sir, people are telling me not to do it. Why are they saying such things?' I told him I didn't know why. Vijay then called producer Shibu, who distributes his films. Shibu told him Bodyguard was a huge hit in Kerala with great reviews. That's how we started the Tamil movie, and it was a massive hit.
The Hindi Remake: A Success in Bollywood
While discussions for the Tamil version were underway, Siddique got an opportunity to remake it in Hindi as well, with Salman Khan — the director's first choice for a Bollywood version — playing the lead role. 'A friend of mine one day brought Salman Khan's sister Alvira Khan's husband, actor-producer Atul Agnihotri, to me. Salman had already given Atul his dates for a movie. Atul asked if I could narrate the story to him so that he could inform the actor and confirm the project. When I narrated the story, he also liked it a lot and said it would be perfect for Salman Khan,' Siddique shared. He added, 'After the release of the Malayalam version, I subtitled it and showed it to Salman. He watched it and called me during the interval, saying, 'We are doing this!' Once he finished watching the whole film, he asked me to come to Mumbai as soon as possible. During our meeting, he asked me if we could start the project right away. I told him I had already said yes to the Tamil version and gave him a timeline of when my commitment to Vijay would be over. We planned the Hindi version accordingly.'
Key points
- Vijay's career was going through a tough phase when he was rescued by a Malayalam director, Siddique.
- The film, Kaavalan, was a remake of a Malayalam film, Bodyguard, and also received a Hindi remake, which too became a massive success.
- Vijay's success in Kaavalan was a turning point in his career and he became a superstar again.
If Vijay continues to make successful movies, he may be able to maintain his position as a top star in India. His success in Kaavalan may also inspire other actors to take risks and try new things.
If Vijay's next movies do not do well, he may struggle to regain his position as a top star in India. His success in Kaavalan may also be a one-time fluke and not a sign of a lasting trend.
