Vijay’s ‘Varisu’ takes on Ajith’s ‘Thunivu’: Why Tamil cinema fans are excited

Two of Tamil cinema’s biggest film stars – Vijay and Ajith – are releasing their films on the same day. As excitement builds in anticipation of the big face-off, we meet their vociferously loyal fan groups

(Originally published in The Hindu on January 10, 2023; written along with Srinivasa Ramanujam)

Camp Vijay: Time for celebration

Mohammad Ashik is busy creating a hashtag for the upcoming Tamil film Varisu. He hopes to create one that goes viral among fans of ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay, all excited about seeing their matinee idol on the big screen this Wednesday.

This 26-year-old, who works at a production company, manages not one or two, but four active Twitter fan clubs celebrating Vijay: among them is the handle actor_vijay, a fans’ account that enjoys more than a million followers.

This Wednesday, Ashik plans to be at two Chennai theatres – Rohini and Vettri – to watch Vijay’s Varisu for three shows… all on a single day! With him will be a big gang of Vijay fans, who profess their love for the star online. “This is a very special Pongal festival for us,” says Ashik, “While we have celebrated the release of Vijay’s releases in earlier years with a lot of gusto, this year will be the biggest of them all: as it is a direct clash with Ajith’s Thunivu.”

To read fully: Camp Vijay

Camp Ajith: A bond for life

In Vellore, a 38-year-old assistant bank manager and a part-time singer, T Dhanasekar, along with his music composer-friend Aandhageethan, is releasing a cover rendition of ‘Chilla Chilla’ from Thunivu on his YouTube channel. Two things about Thunivu, a H Vinoth directorial, seem to have piqued the interest of this ardent Ajith fan: Ajith Kumar’s looks and its bank heist sequences.

“Vera maari stylish ah irukaar, Ajith (He looks so stylish). After Mankatha (2011), I am now eager to see how he pulls off a heist this time,” says Dhana. For Dheena Shankar, a Madurai-based businessman and a fan who runs an online Twitter handle for Ajith with over 20K followers, the character’s grey shades are what intrigue him. “We are seeing him in a negative role after Mankatha (2011), which was a very special film for all of us,” notes Dheena.

It’s interesting to gauge fans’ reactions to Ajith’s film choices. For instance, the actor does a film like Nerkonda Paarvai after Viswasam, and in Thunivu, he plays a bank robber after playing a cop in his earlier, Valimai. “Rajinikanth sir built his career by doing such negative roles. Even after he was established as a hero, he did a Netrikkan. And Ajith is following that path; he just wants to be an actor and he does whatever the character requires of him,” says film producer Dhananjayan,

To read fully: Camp Ajith