SK’s Maaveeran makes grand entry in Japan

CHENNAI: Maaveeran, the 2023 fantasy action film starring Sivakarthikeyan, released in Japan recently and is already drawing attention from audiences across the country. The film is playing in over 55 theatres across Japan.

Originally released in India on July 14, 2023, Maaveeran now arrives in Japan almost exactly two years later, marking its second anniversary with a fresh global milestone. Directed by Madonne Ashwin and produced by Arun Viswa under Shanti Talkies banner, it is just a month after the successful Japan release of Kamal Haasan’s Vikram, another Tamil film is making its mark in Japan.

The film was a commercial success in India and has now found resonance in Japan, a country known for its deep appreciation of illustrated art forms and visual storytelling. Given that the protagonist is a cartoonist and illustrations play a key part in the narrative, Maaveeran naturally aligns with Japanese cultural interests. A Japanese-language movie webpage has been created to introduce the film, complemented by a series of illustrated character artworks and comic strips that have caught the eye of local audiences. These visuals have become a talking point, giving Maaveeran a manga-like presence that feels native to Japan’s pop culture landscape.