South films rule India now, says filmmaker Vasanthabalan

CHENNAI: More than Bollywood, it is south films that rule India now,” says Tamil film director G Vasanthabalan, whose Aneethi is being described as his ‘darkest’ film yet. An industry veteran, who made his foray into movies as one of the many assistant directors of S Shankar’s blockbuster Gentleman in 1993, Vasanthabalan says OTT platforms have been a gamechanger in this regard.

“The good thing is with all the available opportunities today, when you are convinced, you don’t have to worry anymore. Theatre release is not the only way out these days, there are plenty of formats offering good business opportunities. Also, of course, blockbuster films like Kantara, KGF and RRR too have helped the south film industry in reaching that place,” he says, adding that these have given the creators a freehand in exploring genres and formats that were otherwise considered risky.

Vasanthabalan says his latest film, which released on July 21, is more of a psychological thriller. Although true to his credentials, he explores the social injustices and inequalities in this film as well, but unlike his earlier films, Aneethi gets a tad too violent.

As a director, he says he is not interested in thrusting his views or in social messages. “I don’t want to make a name for myself by preaching or deliberately projecting ideas. I feel social awareness can be created by just focusing on the lives of characters,” he adds.