When Kamal Haasan announced a few years ago that he was giving up his film career for good to focus on politics, there was huge disappointment. For, Kamal Haasan was not only among India's greatest actors ever, his directorial skills and his screenplay writing talent were also outstanding. Further, as a producer, his Raj Kamal Films International backed some interesting attempts.
As it happened, Kamal's political party, Makkal Needhi Maiam, did not fare well in the elections (Lok Sabha, Assembly and Local Bodies) that it contested in Tamil Nadu.
In the event, at the height of pandemic, Kamal announced last year Vikram, a film produced and headlined by him in the cast. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, who had established himself through movies like Managaram, Kaithi, and Master, Vikram released on June 3.
The film, an unabashed action entertainer, did not exactly belong to the kind that Kamal is known for. Kamal, the actor, had willingly given himself to be shaped by the sensibilities of much younger Lokesh. Vikram, which also had the enormously talented Fhadh Faasil, and the Tamil actors Vijay Sethupathi and Surya (in a cameo), arrived to a largely positive response.
But, nobody expected it to be the record-breaker (at the box-office) that it has become.
Record price for Vikram on OTT
Vikram, though not exactly marketed as a pan-Indian movie, has turned out to be a big winner. What more, it has notched notable success in overseas markets where the Indian diaspora is in good numbers.
By many accounts, Vikram is touted to be the most successful Tamil movie ever (of course some caveats are there, as financial success across eras is impossible to compare). Anyway, Vikram is said to have beaten Bahubali, one of the biggest grossers in recent times, and walked into the record books.
Vikram is also said to have sequel, and so the good run for Kamal is bound to continue. Vikram, which is Kamal Haasan’s 232nd film, was also screened to a select audience during the recent Cannes Film Festival.
Anyway, the moment Vikram became a hit, there has been questions as to when it will stream on OTT platforms. Being a humongously successful movie, Vikram's arrival on an streaming site was always going to be a bit delayed. Now, the Disney+ Hotstar platform has officially announced that it will stream from July 8.
Since Kamal already has an existing tie-up with the Star network (he hosts the Big Boss show in Tamil for them), Vikram was always going to be Disney+ Hotstar's baby. Trade sources claim that the OTT rights have been snapped for Rs 200 crore, which is one of the largest amounts for a Tamil film.
