Tag: Kamal Haasan
Are the AI-generated Voices of Late Singers, De-ageing Technology, and VFX Undoubtedly the Cutting-edge Marketing Tools Driving Kollywood’s Big-ticket Movies?

Are the AI-generated Voices of Late Singers, De-ageing Technology, and VFX Undoubtedly the Cutting-edge Marketing Tools Driving Kollywood’s Big-ticket Movies?

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The Thalapathy Vijay starrer and Venkat Prabhu’s (VP) directorial, The Greatest Of All Time (The G.O.A.T.), which premiered globally on September 5th, 2024, took the box office by storm. AGS Entertainment, the movie’s producer, proudly announced an impressive day-one worldwide box office collection of 126.32 crores+ on social media. This phenomenal opening can be largely attributed to Thalapathy Vijay’s immense star power, his groundbreaking first-time collaboration with the dynamic Director-Music Composer duo VP and Yuvan Shankar Raja (Yuvan), and the superior production scale and quality showcased in the promotional materials. A deeper dive into the marketing strategy reveals three pivotal elements contributing to the pre-release buzz. Firstly, the use of the AI-generated voice of the late singer Bhavatharini (Yuvan’s sibling and VP’s female cousin) in the melodic track, ‘Chinna Chinna Kangal‘. Secondly, cutting-edge de-ageing technology is employed to present a youthful version of Vijay, a highlight enthusiastically promoted by the film’s crew in pre-release interviews. Lastly, AI technology was ingeniously utilized to bring the late actor Vijayakanth to life for a cameo, information that further fueled public anticipation. These strategies, combined with existing excitement, generated an unparalleled buzz, setting the stage for a highly frenzied reception.

Previous attempts at using de-aging technology in Tamil Cinema:

Kollywood continues to push boundaries with de-aging technology. The Rajinikanth starrer and Nelson’s directorial, ‘Jailer’ (2023) and the Kamal Haasan starrer and Shankar’s directorial, ‘Indian 2’ (2024) utilized this technology to bring back the yesteryear looks of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. Among these, ‘Indian 2’ stood out by heavily promoting its innovative use of de-aging technology. Despite receiving generally negative reviews, the film’s end segment, hinting at ‘Indian 3’, garnered applause, especially for the de-aged ‘Senapathy’ (An Iconic character played by Kamal Haasan in the ‘Indian’ franchise).

De-aged look of Kamal Haasan as Senapathy in 'Indian 2'
De-aged look of Kamal Haasan as Senapathy in ‘Indian 2’ (Photo Courtesy: Lyca Productions)

There were compelling rumours about bringing back a younger version of Kamal Haasan in the 2022 sensational hit, Vikram. The movie’s director, Lokesh Kanagaraj, later confirmed their plans to showcase a younger Kamal Haasan briefly. However, due to time constraints, the idea wasn’t pursued, leaving the footage they had worked on untouched. This material remains intact and could be utilized at any time in the future.

Below is the reference video…

Upcoming Kollywood biggies experimenting with AI-generated voices of legendary singers and cutting-edge de-aging technology:

The excitement surrounding these technologies and the enthusiastic reception from audiences has led major industry players to embrace them. Rajinikanth‘s highly anticipated movie, ‘Vettaiyan‘ is slated to hit theatres on October 10th, 2024. Yesterday, the movie’s producer, ‘Lyca Productions‘ announced plans to use the AI-generated voice of a legendary late singer in the first single, which is expected to be released soon.

Also, news is circulating on social media about the innovative use of de-ageing technology to bring back a younger version of Rajinikanth in his upcoming movie, Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj.

VFX in the recent Tamil big-ticket movies showcases a groundbreaking leap in visual storytelling, setting new benchmarks in the film industry.

Of late, with the usage of VFX in Tamil films, audiences are treated to some larger-than-life sequences. The release of the Thalapathy Vijay starrer and Lokesh Kanagaraj‘s directorial, ‘Leo’ (2023), set the bar high with much hype around two standout sequences. The first is a gripping 10-minute scene featuring the actor taking down a hyena, and the second is an intense car chase. In pre-release interviews, the hyena sequence received significant emphasis. The film soared, opening to 148.5 crores+ at the box office, the highest day 1 worldwide gross for an Indian movie this year. Even in Netflix‘s official promotional content, photos and videos of the hyena and car chase sequences dominate social media. Likewise, Sivakarthikeyan-starrer and R. Ravikumar‘s directorial ‘Ayalaan’ (2024) featured a unique grey alien character, earning rave reviews for its visual effects.

In the vibrant age of OTT, audiences are fervently craving nostalgia alongside the thrill of fresh ideas and portrayals. Enter the marvels of AI-generated voices of iconic late singers, breathtaking de-ageing tech, and awe-inspiring VFX, all pushing films beyond sky-high expectations. These groundbreaking technologies have graced the screen with both impeccable and nearly flawless results, the latter often hindered by budget and time constraints. Yet, it’s undeniable that these innovations have bestowed upon viewers countless unforgettable moments. The future of these modern marketing wonders hinges on the brilliance with which films weave technology into their storytelling and fulfil pre-release excitement, while makers must ensure they wield these tools with respect, never reducing them or their audience to mere gimmicks.

Photo and Video Courtesy: AGS Entertainment and Dream Frames

Kamal Haasan in 'Vikram' movie poster
‘Raaj Kamal Films International’ Has Set Out Interesting Promotions for ‘Vikram’

‘Raaj Kamal Films International’ Has Set Out Interesting Promotions for ‘Vikram’

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It has been quite some time since I wrote about movie marketing. With this being the case, when I noticed the legendary actor Kamal Haasan’s upcoming film, ‘Vikram’ – one of my most anticipated movies of 2022 – promoted all along by some innovative and interesting initiatives, it became inevitable to feel excited and urged to put them down. So, here I am with this blog post.

The compelling promotions gradually ramped up the hype of Lokesh Kanagaraj‘s directorial besides the K-Town sensation Anirudh‘s chartbuster album. Now, let me provide an account of the endeavors.

1. Vikram Non-Fungible Tokens (Vikram NFTs):

‘Fantico‘, an NFT and gaming company owned by ‘Vistas Media Capital‘, is offering limited-edition Vikram NFTs in its soon-to-be-launched metaverse, ‘Vistaverse’ (To be set operative in partnership with Lotus Meta Entertainment) by collaborating with Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI).

The NFTs will serve as a ticket to the metaverse experience. In addition, it will offer its buyers utilities like…

  • Access to unique artworks of characters
  • Digital avatars
  • Props
  • Posters
  • Film memorabilia
  • Fan interaction moments
  • Private screenings
  • Access to by-invite only to a traveling Vistadome party
  • A choice to convert some of the NFTs to actual underlying tangible assets

The NFTs will also give preferential access to virtual land sales in Mumbai and Chennai in Vistaverse, which RKFI claims to be the first such in-game asset to be launched in India.

Actor Kamal Haasan unveiled Vikram NFTs along with the movie’s trailer on 18th May 2022 at Cannes Film Festival.

Vikram NFTs arrived for presale on 28th May 2022 over here: vikram.vistaverse.io

As one may know that NFTs are one of the secure ways of trading, I consider the initiative to be smart in monetizing the brand.

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2. ‘Vikram’ branded artworks executed directly over train engines and coaches:

Raaj Kamal Films International, along with Southern Railway, has branded the WAP 7 class locomotive or engine at Erode with the official first look of ‘Vikram’. Below is Southern Railway‘s tweet about the collaboration…

Also, ‘Vikram’ branded graffiti have been executed over a couple of double-decker coaches of Uday Express, which plies to and fro between Coimbatore Junction and K.S.R Railway Station (Bengaluru).

Chennai-based graffiti writer and street artist ‘A-kill’, Pune-based artist ‘Afzan Pirzade’, who specializes in portrait arts, and Karthik SS of Chennai art studio, ‘108 Collective’ have come together to realize the artwork.

Previous notable arts of ‘A-kill’ in Chennai are the widely popular mural featuring two sisters smiling together in Kannagi Nagar and the HIV/AIDS awareness street art across Indira Nagar MRTS’ main façade.

Afzan Pirzade’s painting, along with Lobster, as part of the ‘Paint my city’ project for the Kumbh Mela festival 2019 was one of the most widely shared images of street art done for the event.

In Chennai, Karthik SS and his team were behind the initial concepts and sketches for the murals present on the walls of Andhra Mahila Sabha hospital in Durgabai Deshmukh Road, Adyar. The arts are also being sold as NFTs in the marketplace, ‘JupiterMeta’.

In post-pandemic times, I could recall the makers of the 2022 Indian period romantic drama, ‘Radhe Shyam’ coming up with a similar strategy, wherein they put up the movie’s posters over Delhi Metros. But, the promotion over train for ‘Vikram’ spans across Tamil Nadu and Karnataka because of the medium chosen i.e. Uday Express.

3. Kamal Haasan surprises his fans from behind them while they adulate him:

In the below video uploaded to the YouTube channel of ‘Sony Music South‘, fans of Kamal Haasan are shown adulating their favorite star. The highlights are the moments we watch them getting surprised as they either see Kamal Haasan or hear his voice from behind.

This promotional video follows suit of Chadwick Boseman and Puneeth Rajkumar surprising their fans.

4. A brief reunion of old pals, wherein ‘Panchatanthiram‘ meets ‘Vikram‘:

This is yet another short promotional clip for ‘Vikram‘, which is uploaded to the Youtube channel, ‘Moviebuff Tamil‘. It features actors Jayaram, Ramesh Aravind, Sriman, and Yugi Sethu enacting the respective characters portrayed by them in the 2002 Tamil language comedy film, ‘Panchatanthiram‘. Kamal Haasan and Simran are the movie’s leads. The short video appears as an extension to Panchatanthiram. In other words, the video is a light-hearted attempt at the concept of ‘Panchatanthiram‘ meeting ‘Vikram‘.

The video has been conceptualized and executed by Team Social Beat.

5. As dusk fell in Dubai, Burj Khalifa put on a visual spectacle:

Like Netflix promoted the launch of Volume 1 of Stranger Things 4 by making the rifts to Upside Down appear on monuments like the Empire State Building in New York and Gateway of India in Mumbai, Raaj Kamal Films International built anticipation for Vikram by putting on a visual spectacle on Burj Khalifa.

6. Raaj Kamal Films International‘s fusion marketing with Bisleri:

Raaj Kamal Films International collaborated with Bisleri in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to render limited edition ‘Vikram‘ branded water bottles.

Apart from the above promotions, the makers of ‘Vikram‘ organized a grand audio and trailer launch event in Chennai, set up a digital billboard with the movie’s poster at the airport, facilitated the incorporation of customized emoji to select hashtags on Twitter for the film, and devised a handful of pre-release events. So, it was an all-out effort from Raaj Kamal Films International, in association with Turmeric Media, in creating sky-high expectations for the film. Also, the film’s cast and crew involved in a slew of shows (Including Super Singer Junior 8 on Vijay Television and Big Boss Malayalam on Asianet) and interviews on linear TV and YouTube channels respectively.

Featured image courtesy: Raaj Kamal Films International