‘Por Thozhil’: R Sarathkumar Says OTT Has Boosted South Cinema, Given Due Credit To Artists 

Tamil film ‘Por Thozhil’, a crime thriller directed by Vignesh Raja and produced by Samir Nair, stars R Sarathkumar, Ashok Selvan and Nikhila Vimal as the leads. Sarathkumar and Selvan play two officers, who try to uncover the mystery revolving around a series of murders.

After having a successful run in the cinemas, the film is set to release on SonyLIV on Friday, August 11. Ahead of it, actor-turned-politician R Sarath Kumar spoke to Outlook, and talked about what he is looking forward to and how he manages to stay relevant. 

Excerpts from the interview: 

‘Por Thozhil’ certainly did witness immense success. How did you take it, and with the film’s OTT release now, what are you looking forward to?

Of course, with the OTT release, we are reaching a bigger audience. As for theatrical release, it reaches only a certain audience. Now when it comes on OTT, people across the globe can watch it due to the different languages that it is being released in. That’s really a good thing for a film that’s already been loved by the audience. 

Did you have any apprehensions before taking the project, and how was your overall experience on the sets?

There were no apprehensions. The very first day it was narrated to me, I was sure that there’s something in this script that would work. The way it was narrated by the director, he was quite enthusiastic and confident about the project, and so did I.

A lot of Tamil films are now making their mark in terms of critics and box office. How has Tamil cinema changed in the past four decades?

Basically, OTT has created a lot of buzz, I would credit it to that. Many people are now looking to actors from all directions. That has given an opening to all the cast and crew of any film. People who want to watch a South Indian film can now easily watch it at their homes, that’s given a lot of credit to the artists too. People across the globe now are aware of the actors in the South, and the appreciation has just grown bigger. People have started liking films like ‘KGF’, ‘Baahubali’ and ‘Pushpa’ etc, and they have given a boost as well.

Do you think the idea of ‘superstars’ in general has changed, and at 69, how do you manage to still stay relevant?

For me, age is just a number. The scope has grown bigger and entertainment has a wider reach now. It is now Pan-India and Pan-World, I would say. We watch Korean films, for instance. That’s the case. For instance, if someone would like to cast me, they can see my work easily now, and would approach me if I fit the part. 

Lastly, what’s coming up next for you?

Next film that I am looking forward to is ‘Paramporul’, which is releasing on September 1, and it is a cop story with Amitash. I have played a grey character in the film, and I like that. It is an interesting film. ‘Mr X’ is another film I am doing.