A look at the prospects of Dhanush’s Captain Miller and Siva Karthikeyan’s Ayalaan in Telugu states
Sankranthi has been one of the most lucrative release seasons for the Telugu film industry for over four-five decades. This year, the situation was complicated with five Telugu films confirming their arrival across three days, until team Eagle wisely shifted to a February 9 release and eased some nerves.
Even in the current scenario, excepting Guntur Kaaram, it was quite a challenge for HanuMan, Naa Saami Ranga and Saindhav to get enough theatres. Hence, it was rather impractical for the dubbed releases – Sivakarthikeyan’s sci-fi film Ayalaan and Dhanush’s Captain Miller – to expect any window to make a mark.
Captain Miller, directed by Arun Matheshwaran, is an out-and-out action film, set in the pre-Independence era, where a soldier (after whom the film is named) tries to confront the atrocities committed by the British army. Apart from Dhanush, the film also stars Priyanka Mohan, Shiva Rajkumar, Sundeep Kishan and others.
The Dhanush starrer, to be distributed by Suresh Productions and Asian Cinemas in Telugu states, has received rave reviews from critics and audiences in Tamil Nadu. The actioner, whose music is believed to be one of its major highlights, is expected to reach the Rs 50 crore (gross) mark today.
Ayalaan, given its sci-fi vibe, may appear niche but is believed to be a kid-friendly tale revolving around the equation between an alien and a good-hearted man and how they prevent the misuse of an extraterrestrial element on earth (by an evil corporation). Rakul Preet, Sharad Kelkar, Isha Koppikar are also part of the film.
Ganga Entertainments will release Ayalaan in Telugu. With HanuMan, Guntur Kaaram and Naa Saami Ranga enjoying continued patronage from Telugu audiences, it’ll be a challenge for the Siva Karthikeyan starrer to register its presence. The original has grossed around Rs 40 crore in its four-day run.
While Ayalaan will be out on January 19, it’ll be interesting to see if Captain Miller can make a mark in Telugu on January 25, nearly two weeks after the Tamil release. Despite the experimental nature of the tales, it’s a healthy sign that stars like Dhanush, Siva Karthikeyan took the plunge and did justice to their roles.
