“In the current scenario, the characters in the story have more importance than the hero”; Director Haroon’s speech at the ‘Thrikanda’ event
Producers can take the films on hard disks and screen them. But no producers’ association is talking about this – Director Cable Shankar
Fraud is happening with the knowledge of the producers; Director Cable Shankar exposes the truth at the ‘Thrikanda’ event
“South Indian Star is indeed a fitting title for Mahendran”; ‘Thrikanda’ film director’s praise
‘Thrikanda’ is a film produced by Radhika Srinivas under the SVM Studios banner. Directed by Mani Teluguti, the film stars Mahendran as the protagonist, with Shraddha Das and Sahithi Avancha as the female leads. College Vinod and others play important roles. Harshavardhan Rameshwar & Shajith have composed the music for this film.
The film’s trailer launch event was held yesterday. Directors Cable Shankar and Haroon attended the event as special guests. Speaking at the event, director Cable Shankar said, “When I saw the film’s title, I thought it would be a small-budget film, but the trailer looks grand. The money they have spent is clearly visible. That itself gives me confidence that this film will be a commercial success. Since it’s December, there’s a discussion among everyone about how Tamil cinema fared this year, how much profit and loss there was. But Tamil cinema did quite well this year. This year, many small-budget films have become profitable for the producers. Even the recently released ‘Sirai’ film, although made on a small budget, has sold all its rights for a good price even before its release. The film has also received good reviews.
Films like ‘Housemates’, ‘Middle Class’, and ‘Aromale’ have recovered the producers’ investments. This is commendable. In this situation, experienced people like Tiruppur Subramanian are saying that cinema is not doing well and that actors are sitting idle at home. But contrary to what he says, all actors are working on at least four films. You can’t say that only films that draw crowds to the theaters are successful. If the producer gets back his investment, that’s a successful film. Can films like ‘Kantara’ be released every week? Small films will continue to be made. They will also earn their revenue. Cinema is doing well. Happily, make small-budget films.
Regarding this film, in Telugu cinema, they make such mythological films very spectacularly. This film is being released in three languages: Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. It’s interesting. This will be a turning point film for Mahendran. Qube and UFO have been fined two crores for not allowing others to operate independently. Producers can take their films on hard drives and give them to theaters for screening. But no producers’ association is talking about this.” He didn’t speak. There’s a big political angle to this. It seems that if that political aspect is handled correctly, there won’t be a huge expense in releasing small-budget films in theaters,” he said.
Music composer Shajith said, “Initially, Harshavardhan sir was the music composer for this film. He was very busy and couldn’t dedicate his full time to this project. Director Mani placed immense trust in me and gave me this responsibility. I am from Kerala, but I reside here in Chennai. I have composed music for a Telugu film. This single film encompasses several genres like mythological, horror, and thriller. The journey with this film was very challenging. It took me some time to understand the film’s making and editing process. Not only Mahendran, but the heroine Sahithi has also delivered a wonderful performance. My wife was also very supportive in the music work of this film,” he said.
Child artist Master Sanjay said, “I have acted in a unique role in this film. The director placed complete trust in me and gave me this opportunity,” he said.
The film’s producer Srinivasan said, “I have produced three films in Telugu. This is my first film in Tamil. The reason I produced this in Tamil is that it’s a story entirely for Tamil audiences, focusing on Kumari Kandam and ancient Tamils. When I started this film, I wanted good people to be involved. That’s how Director Mani came on board. Everyone joined in. When we choose a good story, people will come forward to watch it. In the past year, regardless of the language – Tamil, Telugu, or Hindi – the highest-grossing films were small-budget films. We chose Mahendran as the hero of this film…”
The reason for this is that he is well-known to people of all languages. He is a South Indian star,” he said.
Actor College Vinoth said, “Mahendran is a close friend of mine. I also acted in the film ‘Vizha’, in which he first starred as the protagonist. When we were all going to school, Mahi was going to act with his father. He has given a brilliant performance in this film. This film will definitely bring profits to the producer. After the release of this film, director Mani will receive many more film offers.”
Actress Sahithi Avancha said, “’Thrikkanda’ is a powerful film that includes mythology, psychology, action, and amazing visuals. Tamil cinema is my biggest inspiration. The thrilling feeling I had when I heard the story of this film will be felt by you as well when you watch it.”
Protagonist Mahendran said, “Acting in this film was a great experience for me. The film ‘Master’ gave me a good introduction in Telugu. When I acted as a child artist, I acted in both Tamil and Telugu films. I have received a good reception there. When I was thinking of acting in a good Telugu film, I met director Mani. This film can be said to be beyond imagination. After each stage of filming, the director and producer watched the footage and worked very hard to further satisfy the audience. This film will give a huge success to their hard work. This film is the kind of Telugu film I was hoping for.
Master Sanjay has acted well in this film. I myself was a child artist, and I am very happy to see Sanjay acting as a child artist in my film. Cinema has given me a lot. Similarly, cinema will give a lot to Sanjay as well. In the film ‘Nattamai’, K.S. Ravikumar gave me the name Master Mahendran.” When I wondered how long the name ‘Master Mahendran’ would continue, I unexpectedly got the opportunity to act in the film ‘Master’ in the Lokesh-Vijay Anna collaboration. Therefore, the name suited me perfectly. It’s something I’m very proud of. I feel that just saying ‘Mahendran’ would sound even better,” he said.
Director Haroon said, “Even though there are many stories available in Telugu, I congratulate the producer for seeking out a Tamil story. 2026 will certainly be a good year. Because from now on, good stories will emerge. The story is the real hero. In the current scenario, the characters in the story are given more importance than the lead actor. Trailers are what pique the audience’s interest in watching a film. You can proudly say that you have made a good film. Depending on the film’s budget, the event can be held in an ordinary venue, at Sathyam Theatre, or even at Phoenix Mall. But the Qube charges are the same for all films. I don’t know who will address this issue,” he said.
Director Mani Thelakutty said, “Mahendran provided complete support in Chennai for making this film in Tamil. I have created this as a fictional story set in the Kumari Kandam region. You will understand why we chose this title when you watch the film. Like Mega Star and Power Star, ‘South Indian Star’ is a fitting title for Mahendran,” he said.