The eagerly-awaited Tamil anthology Navarasa will release digitally on August 6, the streaming giant Netflix announced on Friday. The biggie has been in the limelight for a while as it brings together some of Kollywood's most decorated filmmakers and actors. Here are five things to know about the project.
What's it about?
Navarasa, as the name suggests, features nine segments that correspond to the nine emotions. Each section is helmed by a different filmmaker and features a distinct cast. The project has been produced by Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan, making it one of the biggest Tamil releases of the year.
A reunion
Guitar Kambi Mele Nindru is arguably the most talked-about short film of Navarasa as it reunites Suriya and ace filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon. The two had previously teamed up for Kaakha Kaakha and Vaaranam Aayiram, which attained cult status. It remains to be seen whether Guitar Kambi Mele Nindru lives up to the the standards set by their earlier films.
In safe hands
Director Karthik Subbaraj's association with the anthology too has piqued the curiosity of the the fans. The maverick filmmaker, who recently garnered attention with his film Jagame Thandhiram, previously wielded the microphone the Miracle short film in Putham Pudhu Kaalai. which received favourable reviews. His experience in helming high-profile short films may help him add a new dimension to Navarasa.
Perfect timing
Navarasa comes at a time when anthologies have become the flavour of the season. Putham Pudhu Kaalai was the first major Tamil anthology to leave an impact on OTT. Paava Kadhaigal, which released shortly there after, too became popular as it featured the likes of Sai Pallavi, Prakash Raj and Simran in the lead. The Telugu anthology Pitta Kathalu too was dubbed and released in Tamil. Navarasa is likely to consolidate the anthology as a viable genre in the OTT space.
Step in the right direction
The Tamil film industry has slowly but surely embraced OTT as an alternative to theatres under the 'new normal. Jyotika's Ponmagal Vandhal was the first major Kollywood flick to opt for a 'direct to OTT' release. It is, however, the Suriya-starrer Soorarai Pottru that's considered to be a gamechanger on this front mainly because the Singam hero is a bonafide box office draw. The general feeling is that the star-studded Navarasa is the next big step when it comes to embracing the OTT revolution.