Gnanavel Raja is a name you can’t miss in Tamil cinema. As the founder of Studio Green, he has been a noted producer and distributor of many memorable films over the past 10 years, since Sillunu Oru Kaadhal in 2006. In this interview to Kaushik LM, Gnanavel talks about these 10 years in the space, his rapport with Suriya, Karthi, the issues plaguing the industry, his upcoming productions & more.
You’ve completed 10 years in cinema as a producer / distributor. How has the business of cinema changed over the past decade?
“Cinema business has gotten better but commitment levels have come down. Around 2005-2006, people were much eager and participated more, but now that involvement is less at all levels.“
How is cinema’s health now ? And how has 2016 been ?
“In cinema, everything depends on the budget. If that is followed properly, there won’t be adverse impacts and it’s a good business.
Coming to 2016, the 2nd half seems to be better, with good films and good revenue. The coming year will be even better I feel, with massive films and sequels coming up.“
You must be happy with the stature of Studio Green today …
“I am very happy with the level of my company today and I hope it will continue flourishing. I wish to be alive in business for long. One important decision that we have taken is that going forward, we won’t be distributing outside films anymore. We will be focusing on our home productions & their release.”
Since Studio Green’s inception, which are the in-house films that make you proud?
“There are many. Each film has been special in its own way and I don’t want to divide and see. We have come up with good variety and each section of audience connects with a particular film depending on their perspective and taste. I am happy with this diversity.
My wife loves Sillunu Oru Kaadhal due to the classy names involved in the film and her urban upbringing. People from Madurai connect with films like Komban and Singam. I had been to Ethiraj College recently and when my show reel displayed that I had distributed Baahubali, the crowd roared.”
Travelling with Suriya and Karthi over these 10 years must have been an enriching process right ?
“Both of them are great human beings and perfectionists. Professionally, their tastes and decisions are different. They make sure that no difficulties or losses arise out of working with them. Karthi is more like a friend while with Suriya Anna, there is a respect induced fear.”
Are both of them aware of the business side of cinema and their market standing?
As an ardent Suriya fan and admirer, how do you see his career now? What’s the path that he should take? He is someone who is capable of both mass-oriented films and content-driven ones ...
“The path that he takes depends on the stories/scripts coming to him. Better the scripts and more the variety, better the track. Else, we have to make do with what comes.
Recently, ’24’ was a good revenue generator for me and as an investor, I am very happy. It was a film which all of us really enjoyed while making. It did particularly well in the overseas space and in Telugu. In the US, the performance of the Telugu version of ’24’ has given a big push to Suriya’s US market. He is next only to Rajini sir, there.”
Studio Green is the only banner which is capable of bringing Sivakumar, Suriya and Karthi together for a film. Can we see that happening in the near future? There were rumors that Manam would be remade with this trio ...
“Manam can be done only by Vikram Kumar, but he doesn’t want to remake his own films. Only he can pull off a film like Manam. Bringing Suriya and Karthi together for a film is itself quite a task and Sivakumar sir has decided not to act! The script has to be really extraordinary for him to be convinced to reconsider that stance.”
How has Singam 3 shaped up?
“The budget of S3 is double that of Singam 2. The pre-release business has been really good and it’s a table profit for me. There is big hype all over, be it the trade sector or among the audience. We have also locked the release date (Dec 16) in advance. Post Diwali, there would be a big bang in promotions, stage by stage.”
And is Thaana Sernadha Koottam (TSK) a remake of ‘Special 26’, as speculated? 
“No, it is not a remake. We have planned TSK as the first release next summer. Suriya would join the TSK sets from early November and the shoots would happen continuously.”
After the Anjaan debacle, how positive is Lingusamy ahead of your important Allu Arjun film, next year?
Everyone faces such debacles in every field. He wrote this story long time back (around Bheema) and we felt confident about the script, during the narration. He generally has faced lots of ups and downs in his career, and bounces back after every fall. It will be a character-driven film and the hero’s role will be strong.”
Piracy and free online torrents continue to be a pressing issue plaguing Tamil cinema. Is the industry used to it now or proactive steps being taken on a regular basis ?
“We can’t let it go, just like that. The industry has co-operated but it’s not sufficient. We wish that the TFPC motivates, guides and leads us forward in this important endeavor. All the producers have to stay united in this. For their respective films, producers employ teams to tackle piracy but it won’t be that effective unless a better overall leadership is shown in this regard. We have to be better equipped to deal with piracy.”
Social media boom is another factor that the industry has to deal with now …
“Social media has been very positive for me. Trends will keep changing and we have to keep adapting to them. But one opinion which all producers have, is that reviews can be posted after the opening 3 days of the film. This will provide better space for films to be seen by the audience with a fresh mind. The viewer’s mind should ideally not be preoccupied with opinions and insights from early reviews, irrespective of whether it’s positive or negative. But, practically this is not possible.”
Finally, beyond production, do you have ideas in the creative side of cinema?
“I don’t have any such ideas, as I am completely occupied with my current projects. Maybe, I can try adaptations and remakes of earlier Hit films. I can’t go beyond that (laughs).”
Interviewed by Kaushik LM