Kuselan
Encyclopedia
Kuselan is a 2008
Tamil
drama film
directed by P. Vasu
, which was simultaneously made in Telugu
as Kathanayakudu . Both remake of the Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol, the film is directed by P. Vasu
and produced by Pushpa Kandaswamy, Aswani Dutt
and G. P. Vijayakumar in two languages. Kuselan stars Pasupathy
in the lead role, while Jagapati Babu
takes the role in Kathanayakudu, with both actors being paired opposite Meena for their respective versions. Rajinikanth and Nayantara
appear in extended cameo roles.
The film revolves around a villager, who had shared a strong friendship with a popular cinema
actor in their youth. However due to their different pursuit in careers they eventually are forced to part ways, one becoming a national figure, the other, a village barber. Decades later, the actor returns to the village to participate in his film's shooting. Whilst the entire village become excited about the prospect of seeing the actor, the barber fears that his old friend would have forgotten him and would neglect him. The story explores the pressures of friendship. Hindi movie Billu is a remake of Kuselan.
The film opened to Indian audiences on 1 August 2008, taking the third largest opening for a Tamil film up til the date of release. Despite the film's hype prior to release, the film ended up evoking negative reviews, mainly because the film was termed as a Rajinikanth-starrer, although it was he who had made it clear that it was a guest appearance.
/Jagapati Babu
) is the owner of a barber shop in a remote village. His family consists of his wife Sridevi (Meena) and three children. Balakrishnan struggles to persuade customers to visit his barber shop while his competitor Shanmugham (Vadivelu
/Sunil
), former worker of Balakrishnan who has his own barber shop across from Balakrishnan's, uses cunning means to make business in haircutting. Balakrishnan's downfall in business also causes him to neglect paying his children's school fees. Although he struggles to make a living, he still enjoys spending time with his family.
Later on, news spreads through the village by Nagaraj (Santhanam) that super star Ashok Kumar (Rajinikanth), a popular film actor, will be arriving for a shooting schedule. While the rest of the village celebrates in shock and excitement, the news does not impress Balakrishnan, who was best friends with the actor during their childhood days, and the two have not met one another for nearly 25 years. Balakrishnan is often bothered by Sridevi and his children to introduce them to Ashok Kumar. Kuppuswamy (Livingston
), a financier who is keen on making a film and who was once disgusted by Balakrishnan's barber shop, tries to woo him into introducing him to Ashok Kumar so that he can make a film with him. Meanwhile, Sridevi spends her time bragging to her neighbours about her husband being friends with the super star.
In the other part of town, Ashok Kumar is given tight security, led by the deputy commissioner Senthilnathan (Prabhu Ganesan
) due to the possibility of misbehaviour among the crowd who always spend their time hanging out in front of every shooting location, eager to get a glimpse of the super star. Ashok Kumar is shown taking part in the filmings of Annamalai: Part 2, Chandramukhi: Part 2, (fictional sequels of Annamalai
and Chandramukhi
) and Kuselan, along with his co-star Nayantara (Nayantara
). Balakrishnan tries to meet up with his childhood friend, however he is never able to make it to him through the large crowd. Shanmugham also tries every possible way to meet with the super star so that he can get a photo with him, but humorously fails.
Later on, the headmistress of the local convent school (Geetha) visits Balakrishnan and asks him if he could get Ashok Kumar to attend their school's upcoming annual function. Balakrishnan hesitates at first but later agrees to do so. Balakrishnan continues to attempt to confront the superstar, however with no success. On the other hand, Shanmugham finally falls into Ashok Kumar's backyard by accident and, and to his utmost surprise, gets the chance to speak with the celebrity.
Days pass by and the staff and parents of the school complain to Balakrishnan about inviting the super star during their parents meeting. Balakrishnan, again, agrees to confront the actor, but goes without doing so. The headmistress later decides that it is only better if she herself invites the superstar. She visits the super star, along with two other school secretaries, which includes Mr. Srinivasan (R. Sundararajan), who arrogantly questions the super star about his films and his personal decisions. (Scene provides answers to controversial subject matters regarding Rajinikanth). Despite the irritation received from Srinivasan, Ashok Kumar accepts their invitation to the function and agrees to attend, as long as Srinivasan wasn't around.
The day of the school function arrives and the school prepares for the arrival of Ashok Kumar. Back at Balakrishnan's house, Balakrishnan who is saddened because of his children, who are angry at their father for not taking them to see the super star, does not want to attend the school function. Sridevi shows her admiration for Ashok Kumar and her willingness to attend the function. Balakrishnan shows his willingness to grant at least her wish to see the super star and agrees to attend the function. At the school, Balakrishnan and Sridevi are wide-eyed to see super star Ashok Kumar walk across the stage when he is called to deliver his speech. In his speech, Ashok Kumar praises the students and teachers of the school and receives many applauses. Srinivasan then learns that Ashok Kumar had a great respect for teachers. He brings forth his past, as a child. He explains his poor and harsh lifestyle during his childhood days. On that note, he the recalls his memories of his childhood friend, Balakrishnan, who, according to Ashok Kumar, cared for him so much and spent a lot for him. Ashok Kumar tells the audience that it was Balakrishnan who sold his own jewelry to send him to Madras to join a film institute. Ashok Kumar wipes away his tears as he expresses his sorrow for not being able to see his friend since then. Ashok Kumar then apologizes to the audience and ends his speech on a happy note. A broken-hearted Balakrishnan, returns home in tears after seeing his best friend cry on stage for him. As he weeps to his wife and children, he sees Ashok Kumar at his doorstep, forming the climax of the film. Balakrishnan slowly walks up to his long-lost friend and the two embrace and wipe away their tears.
After they settle down, Ashok Kumar tells Balakrishnan that him and his family must live with him thereafter. When Balakrishnan declines the offer, Ashok Kumar and the children utter one of his infamous punch dialogues (from Badsha). Ashok Kumar takes Balakrishnan outside, and to Balakrishnan's surprise, he sees the entire village crowded in front of his house. Ashok Kumar yells out to everyone in happiness that Balakrishnan is his best friend. Just when Ashok Kumar leaves, Balakrishnan feeds Ashok Kumar and Ashok Kumar feeds him back - a sentimental scene. The film ends showing Balakrishnan and Ashok Kumar walking away together and a moral of friendship is given (voiced by Rajinikanth).
, Surya Sivakumar, Sneha, Mamta Mohandas
and Dhanush
all made special and cameo appearances in the film. The lead cast in the bilingual (Tamil/Telugu) included:
and Rajnikanth
's film, Chandramukhi
in 2005, Vasu had been keen to re-cast Rajnikanth in another role and prior to signing Kuselan, he had narrated a story entitled Vettaiyan, which would have been a sequel of a character featured in Chandramukhi
.
Early in 2008, Rajnikanth
signed up for S. Shankar
's Enthiran, while Kuselan was launched at the Taj Coromandel in Chennai
on 14 January 2008 coinciding with Pongal
. The director, P. Vasu
signed up Rajnikanth
and Pasupathy
to portray the lead roles, while director K. Balachandar agreed to produce the Tamil version of the film along with G.P. Vijayakumar's Seven Arts Productions, while Aswani Dutt
agreed to produce the film in Telugu with Rajnikanth and Jagapati Babu
in the lead roles. The film is a remake of the Malayalam movie, Kadha Parayumbol which was written by Sreenivasan who also played the lead role in the movie.
Vasu made it clear that Rajnikanth
would not be doing an honorary role in the movie which Mammooty had portrayed, but will play a full role, describing that "The whole story revolves around him [Rajnikanth]". The film's launch was halted on 7 March 2008 at the AVM
Studios in Chennai
with the leading artistes present. P. Vasu, while talking to the media mentioned that the shooting lasted 82 days with the versions being shot simultaneously and that most of the movie was shot inside the Ramoji Rao
film city, with other destinations including Kerala
and Pollachi
.
A promotional event took place on 19 July 2008 at the Jawarhalal Nehru Stadium. The event focused on the music by G. V. Prakash Kumar
.
Apart from the role of Rajnikanth
, Vasu intended to use entirely different casts in either version of the bilingual film.Livingston
, Manobala and Santhana Bharathi were added to the cast of the Tamil version, along with Vadivelu
who pipped Vivek
, Santhanam and Goundamani
to land the role, even though Santhanam managed another role in the film. Furthermore, director S. P. Muthuraman agreed to play a guest role in the film. Despite Trisha Krishnan
's request to appear opposite Rajnikanth, Nayantara
accepted the role, however finding a female lead opposite Pasupathy was more difficult for the director, with Simran Bagga
, Tabu
and Sneha all being considered for the role in the Tamil version. However, Meena who played the role in the original, was offered the role in early February 2008 and accepted it. Throughout the production stages, it had been indicated that several prominent film personalities will appear in cameo appearances throughout the film, however no leading actors were approached. Indications later revealed that five actresses would appear opposite Rajnikanth in a song with the selected being Nayantara, Mamta Mohandas
, Kushboo, Suja and Sneha all of whom apart from Nayantara, play minor roles.
In the Telugu version, comedian actors Sunil
, Brahmanandam
, Tanikella Bharani
and Venu Madhav
all signed up to play the roles of Jagapati Babu
's fellow villagers. Ileana D'Cruz
turned down an offer to act in the film, citing date problems. Like the Tamil version, it was said that several prominent Telugu
actors had been approached to be a part of a song in the project, but none were selected.
Technicians were common in both versions in the two films with G. V. Prakash Kumar
operating as the music composer, whilst Arvind Krishna
was the cinematographer for the bilingual.
along with five songs. The song Cinema Cinema
commemorates the 75th anniversary of Tamil cinema
. Surya Sivakumar, Sneha, Mamta Mohandas
, Dhanush
, Kushboo Sundar
and Soundarya Rajinikanth
appear in this song along with Rajinikanth, Nayantara
and Vijayakumar
. Sivaji Ganesan
, M. G. Ramachandran
, Rajkumar
and N. T. Rama Rao
, are also shown in this song.
, extracting 1000 prints worldwide, numbers exceeded only by Rajnikanth's previous venture, Sivaji. The film upon release, despite the initial hype before release, received negative reviews and unexpectedly took a lukewarm opening at the box office. Unlike previous Rajnikanth
films, on day two of its release, tickets were available in almost all theatres across Tamil Nadu
, with the film failing to get advance bookings. Traders blamed the producers for using Rajinikanth's "larger than life image" to sell it to distributors, Pyramid Saimira for $12 million, when they knew very well that he was only doing a special appearance. More than $1 million worth of pirated DVD
s were seized around India featuring Kuselan. In Karnataka
, Rajnikanth's home state, Kuselan failed to bring in $300,000, despite being sold for $600,000.
Pyramid Saimeera declared a loss of 40.32 crore in the 3rd financial quarter of 2008 (a loss of nearly US $8 million, the highest loss for a single film in the Tamil film industry's 100-year history).
Overseas, Kuselan opened at number 12 at the UK box office
, but slid heavily the following week. The film was still labelled as a "colossal flop".
mentioning that he comes "out the winner" in acting scenes, citing that his portrayal was "poetic". Meena is criticized, with the reviewer claiming that she "tries hard to re-create the original version's magic, but perhaps she has been told to over-do it for Tamil: she wears lipstick and pastel shades of saris for every other scene, while trying to prove that they have no idea where the next meal's going to come from". As for the script, "the freshness of the original has been denuded a little to accommodate dialogues that extol the many virtues of the superstar", becoming worse than that of the original. Whilst labelling Vadivelu
as providing "antics are the ones that really make you grin", the rest of the supporting actors Manobala, M. S. Baskar
, Livingston
and Vaiyapuri "are absolutely wasted". Director P. Vasu
is criticized by claiming that his "script must shoulder the responsibility of how Kuselan has ultimately turned out" with the only saving grace being "the original story, which pulls the screenplay from descending into nothing". G. V. Prakash Kumar
and Thotta Tharani
were also singled out by the Rediff reviewer for their adequate performances in their respective fields.
Reviewers also claimed that the producers and P. Vasu
had attempted to capitalize on Rajnikanth
's fan following in the film. The Deccan Herald reported that "It’s a big con to exploit brand Rajni and make a quick buck. He himself gallops in on a flying horse almost half way through the tortuous proceedings. His oneliners and quirks fall flat. If at all we are able to see flashes of the Rajni of yore, it’s towards the dying moments. By then it’s too late". This claim was echoed by one Sify.com review claiming the film "tries desperately to glorify Rajinikanth’s larger than life superstardom and create a halo around him as a do-gooder and a saint in real life. It loses its focus and moves away from the gist of the original, which was a simple story about human emotions, based on friendship between an ordinary barber and a superstar." In contrast, another Sify
.com review praised the film labelling it as "above average". It claims that "Rajinikanth towers above all others, especially in the climax scene where there is a lot of melodrama and the human emotions are well etched out". Pasupathy has a "pained expression throughout" whilst "Meena just repeats her performance in the Malayalam version". It however criticizes Vadivelu who is described as "a bit crass and below-the-belt", in reference to his scenes with Sona Heiden. It adds that "Kuselan is quite an enjoyable watch and is different from previous Rajinikanth films" and that the "touching climax will leave a lump in your throat".
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
Tamil
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by P. Vasu
P. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
, which was simultaneously made in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
as Kathanayakudu . Both remake of the Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol, the film is directed by P. Vasu
P. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
and produced by Pushpa Kandaswamy, Aswani Dutt
Aswani Dutt
Aswani Dutt born 15 September) is a producer in Telugu cinema. He has a wife and three daughters. He is the founder of the production house Vyjayanthi Movies.-Filmography as producer:* Shakti * Kantri * Chiruta...
and G. P. Vijayakumar in two languages. Kuselan stars Pasupathy
Pasupathy
Pasupathy is an Indian film actor. He has appeared in several critically acclaimed roles in many noted Tamil films, essaying supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles.-Early life and career:...
in the lead role, while Jagapati Babu
Jagapati Babu
Jagapathi Babu is an Indian top actor in the Telugu film industry. He is the son of veteran producer-director V.B. Rajendra Prasad.He is named as manly star in telugu film circuit and is one among top stars of likes like chiranjeevi,bala krishna,nagarjuna,venkatesh.-Career:Jagapathi Babu made...
takes the role in Kathanayakudu, with both actors being paired opposite Meena for their respective versions. Rajinikanth and Nayantara
Nayantara
Nayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors...
appear in extended cameo roles.
The film revolves around a villager, who had shared a strong friendship with a popular cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actor in their youth. However due to their different pursuit in careers they eventually are forced to part ways, one becoming a national figure, the other, a village barber. Decades later, the actor returns to the village to participate in his film's shooting. Whilst the entire village become excited about the prospect of seeing the actor, the barber fears that his old friend would have forgotten him and would neglect him. The story explores the pressures of friendship. Hindi movie Billu is a remake of Kuselan.
The film opened to Indian audiences on 1 August 2008, taking the third largest opening for a Tamil film up til the date of release. Despite the film's hype prior to release, the film ended up evoking negative reviews, mainly because the film was termed as a Rajinikanth-starrer, although it was he who had made it clear that it was a guest appearance.
Plot
Balakrishnan (PasupathyPasupathy
Pasupathy is an Indian film actor. He has appeared in several critically acclaimed roles in many noted Tamil films, essaying supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles.-Early life and career:...
/Jagapati Babu
Jagapati Babu
Jagapathi Babu is an Indian top actor in the Telugu film industry. He is the son of veteran producer-director V.B. Rajendra Prasad.He is named as manly star in telugu film circuit and is one among top stars of likes like chiranjeevi,bala krishna,nagarjuna,venkatesh.-Career:Jagapathi Babu made...
) is the owner of a barber shop in a remote village. His family consists of his wife Sridevi (Meena) and three children. Balakrishnan struggles to persuade customers to visit his barber shop while his competitor Shanmugham (Vadivelu
Vadivelu
Vadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards...
/Sunil
Sunil
Sunil is a common Hindu male name meaning "deep, dark blue color". It may refer to:*Sunil , actor in the Telugu film industry*Sunil Kumar Ahuja , professor of Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology & Biochemistry at University of Texas Health Science Center*Sunil Chhetri , Indian footballer*Sunil...
), former worker of Balakrishnan who has his own barber shop across from Balakrishnan's, uses cunning means to make business in haircutting. Balakrishnan's downfall in business also causes him to neglect paying his children's school fees. Although he struggles to make a living, he still enjoys spending time with his family.
Later on, news spreads through the village by Nagaraj (Santhanam) that super star Ashok Kumar (Rajinikanth), a popular film actor, will be arriving for a shooting schedule. While the rest of the village celebrates in shock and excitement, the news does not impress Balakrishnan, who was best friends with the actor during their childhood days, and the two have not met one another for nearly 25 years. Balakrishnan is often bothered by Sridevi and his children to introduce them to Ashok Kumar. Kuppuswamy (Livingston
Livingston (actor)
Livingston is a Tamil film actor who usually plays in supporting roles. He is credited in his earlier films by the stage name Ranjan. His first starring role was in Poonthotta Kavalkaran . He started out playing villains and graduated to playing lead roles with Sundara Purushan in 1997...
), a financier who is keen on making a film and who was once disgusted by Balakrishnan's barber shop, tries to woo him into introducing him to Ashok Kumar so that he can make a film with him. Meanwhile, Sridevi spends her time bragging to her neighbours about her husband being friends with the super star.
In the other part of town, Ashok Kumar is given tight security, led by the deputy commissioner Senthilnathan (Prabhu Ganesan
Prabhu Ganesan
Prabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his...
) due to the possibility of misbehaviour among the crowd who always spend their time hanging out in front of every shooting location, eager to get a glimpse of the super star. Ashok Kumar is shown taking part in the filmings of Annamalai: Part 2, Chandramukhi: Part 2, (fictional sequels of Annamalai
Annamalai (film)
Annamalai is a 1992 Tamil film directed by Suresh Krishna; starring Rajinikanth, Kushboo and Sarath Babu in the lead roles. It is a remake of Krishnam Raju's movie Prana Snehitulu, which was a remake of Rakesh Roshan's Hindi movie Khudgarz, which was inturn based on Erich Segal's novel Kane and...
and Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu...
) and Kuselan, along with his co-star Nayantara (Nayantara
Nayantara
Nayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors...
). Balakrishnan tries to meet up with his childhood friend, however he is never able to make it to him through the large crowd. Shanmugham also tries every possible way to meet with the super star so that he can get a photo with him, but humorously fails.
Later on, the headmistress of the local convent school (Geetha) visits Balakrishnan and asks him if he could get Ashok Kumar to attend their school's upcoming annual function. Balakrishnan hesitates at first but later agrees to do so. Balakrishnan continues to attempt to confront the superstar, however with no success. On the other hand, Shanmugham finally falls into Ashok Kumar's backyard by accident and, and to his utmost surprise, gets the chance to speak with the celebrity.
Days pass by and the staff and parents of the school complain to Balakrishnan about inviting the super star during their parents meeting. Balakrishnan, again, agrees to confront the actor, but goes without doing so. The headmistress later decides that it is only better if she herself invites the superstar. She visits the super star, along with two other school secretaries, which includes Mr. Srinivasan (R. Sundararajan), who arrogantly questions the super star about his films and his personal decisions. (Scene provides answers to controversial subject matters regarding Rajinikanth). Despite the irritation received from Srinivasan, Ashok Kumar accepts their invitation to the function and agrees to attend, as long as Srinivasan wasn't around.
The day of the school function arrives and the school prepares for the arrival of Ashok Kumar. Back at Balakrishnan's house, Balakrishnan who is saddened because of his children, who are angry at their father for not taking them to see the super star, does not want to attend the school function. Sridevi shows her admiration for Ashok Kumar and her willingness to attend the function. Balakrishnan shows his willingness to grant at least her wish to see the super star and agrees to attend the function. At the school, Balakrishnan and Sridevi are wide-eyed to see super star Ashok Kumar walk across the stage when he is called to deliver his speech. In his speech, Ashok Kumar praises the students and teachers of the school and receives many applauses. Srinivasan then learns that Ashok Kumar had a great respect for teachers. He brings forth his past, as a child. He explains his poor and harsh lifestyle during his childhood days. On that note, he the recalls his memories of his childhood friend, Balakrishnan, who, according to Ashok Kumar, cared for him so much and spent a lot for him. Ashok Kumar tells the audience that it was Balakrishnan who sold his own jewelry to send him to Madras to join a film institute. Ashok Kumar wipes away his tears as he expresses his sorrow for not being able to see his friend since then. Ashok Kumar then apologizes to the audience and ends his speech on a happy note. A broken-hearted Balakrishnan, returns home in tears after seeing his best friend cry on stage for him. As he weeps to his wife and children, he sees Ashok Kumar at his doorstep, forming the climax of the film. Balakrishnan slowly walks up to his long-lost friend and the two embrace and wipe away their tears.
After they settle down, Ashok Kumar tells Balakrishnan that him and his family must live with him thereafter. When Balakrishnan declines the offer, Ashok Kumar and the children utter one of his infamous punch dialogues (from Badsha). Ashok Kumar takes Balakrishnan outside, and to Balakrishnan's surprise, he sees the entire village crowded in front of his house. Ashok Kumar yells out to everyone in happiness that Balakrishnan is his best friend. Just when Ashok Kumar leaves, Balakrishnan feeds Ashok Kumar and Ashok Kumar feeds him back - a sentimental scene. The film ends showing Balakrishnan and Ashok Kumar walking away together and a moral of friendship is given (voiced by Rajinikanth).
Cast
The cast from the film was extensive, with several actors portraying supporting roles. Prabhu GanesanPrabhu Ganesan
Prabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his...
, Surya Sivakumar, Sneha, Mamta Mohandas
Mamta Mohandas
Mamta Mohandas is an Indian film actress and playback singer. She has mainly acted in Malayalam films, besides few Telugu and Tamil productions and one Kannada film...
and Dhanush
Dhanush
Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja , better known by his stage name Dhanush , is an Indian film actor, occasional playback singer and lyricist, working in the Tamil film industry...
all made special and cameo appearances in the film. The lead cast in the bilingual (Tamil/Telugu) included:
- PasupathyPasupathyPasupathy is an Indian film actor. He has appeared in several critically acclaimed roles in many noted Tamil films, essaying supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles.-Early life and career:...
/Jagapati BabuJagapati BabuJagapathi Babu is an Indian top actor in the Telugu film industry. He is the son of veteran producer-director V.B. Rajendra Prasad.He is named as manly star in telugu film circuit and is one among top stars of likes like chiranjeevi,bala krishna,nagarjuna,venkatesh.-Career:Jagapathi Babu made...
as Balakrishnan. Balakrishnan, more commonly referred to as Balan is a village barberer. He lives care-free with his wife and three children despite his financial struggles. His salon fails to earn profits ude to his reluctance to take in assistance from others. Balan has a dilemma when his old friend Ashok Kumar returns to the village. - Meena as Sreedevi. Sreedevi is the wife of Balan, who is commonly known for being rather boisterous and open hearted despite her poor state of living. She shares great affection for her husband despite the villagers' hate towards him.
- Rajinikanth as Ashok Kumar. Ashok Kumar is dubbed as the "superstar" in South Indian cinema, who comes to the village to participate in his film's shooting. The arrival of him prompts the villagers' excitement, with all of them wanting to see the superstar.
- NayantaraNayantaraNayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors...
as Nayantara. Nayantara is the co-star to Ashok Kumar in the film under production in the village. - VadiveluVadiveluVadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards...
/SunilSunil (actor)Sunil Varma is an actor from the Telugu film industry. His roles usually are to provide comic relief to the audience. In Andala Ramudu , he appeared in the lead role for the first time and his Second one as hero is Maryada Ramanna directed by S. S. Rajamouli...
as Shanmugam. Shanmugam is an opposition barberer in the village, whose business revenues more profit than Balan. Provides comic relief in the film. - LivingstonLivingston (actor)Livingston is a Tamil film actor who usually plays in supporting roles. He is credited in his earlier films by the stage name Ranjan. His first starring role was in Poonthotta Kavalkaran . He started out playing villains and graduated to playing lead roles with Sundara Purushan in 1997...
as Kuppusamy. A financier in the village, who is hated by the villagers for his boisterous nature. Provides comic relief. However, due to his commitment with other blockbuster shooting, he was replaced by Muhammad Mukhlis from Singapore who gained stardom & fame from his mankatha audio "Vilayaadu mankatha" release" which won applauses in youtube. It is also believed that Mukhlis a.k.a Muki can carve out a better comedian than vadivelu. With the mix of comedy & sentiments, Kuselan is sure to be a big hit according to assistant director Muhd Sahib, also from the same native of Singapore.
Development
Following P. VasuP. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
and Rajnikanth
Rajnikanth
Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor....
's film, Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu...
in 2005, Vasu had been keen to re-cast Rajnikanth in another role and prior to signing Kuselan, he had narrated a story entitled Vettaiyan, which would have been a sequel of a character featured in Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu...
.
Early in 2008, Rajnikanth
Rajnikanth
Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor....
signed up for S. Shankar
S. Shankar
Shankar is an Indian film director and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He made his directional debut in Gentleman for which he was awarded the Filmfare Best Director Award...
's Enthiran, while Kuselan was launched at the Taj Coromandel in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
on 14 January 2008 coinciding with Pongal
Pongal
Thai Ponggal is a harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Indian Union Territory of Pondicherry and in Sri Lanka. Pongal coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi celebrated throughout India. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over" or "spill over". The boiling...
. The director, P. Vasu
P. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
signed up Rajnikanth
Rajnikanth
Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor....
and Pasupathy
Pasupathy
Pasupathy is an Indian film actor. He has appeared in several critically acclaimed roles in many noted Tamil films, essaying supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles.-Early life and career:...
to portray the lead roles, while director K. Balachandar agreed to produce the Tamil version of the film along with G.P. Vijayakumar's Seven Arts Productions, while Aswani Dutt
Aswani Dutt
Aswani Dutt born 15 September) is a producer in Telugu cinema. He has a wife and three daughters. He is the founder of the production house Vyjayanthi Movies.-Filmography as producer:* Shakti * Kantri * Chiruta...
agreed to produce the film in Telugu with Rajnikanth and Jagapati Babu
Jagapati Babu
Jagapathi Babu is an Indian top actor in the Telugu film industry. He is the son of veteran producer-director V.B. Rajendra Prasad.He is named as manly star in telugu film circuit and is one among top stars of likes like chiranjeevi,bala krishna,nagarjuna,venkatesh.-Career:Jagapathi Babu made...
in the lead roles. The film is a remake of the Malayalam movie, Kadha Parayumbol which was written by Sreenivasan who also played the lead role in the movie.
Vasu made it clear that Rajnikanth
Rajnikanth
Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor....
would not be doing an honorary role in the movie which Mammooty had portrayed, but will play a full role, describing that "The whole story revolves around him [Rajnikanth]". The film's launch was halted on 7 March 2008 at the AVM
AVM Productions
AVM is the oldest and largest film production studio in India. It is currently owned by M. Saravanan and his son, M. S. Guhan. The most recent film they have produced since their opening with Nam Iruvar in 1947, is Vettaikkaaran and Leader. The filming studios are located in Vadapalani, Chennai....
Studios in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
with the leading artistes present. P. Vasu, while talking to the media mentioned that the shooting lasted 82 days with the versions being shot simultaneously and that most of the movie was shot inside the Ramoji Rao
Ramoji Rao
Cherukuri Ramoji Rao, better known as Ramoji Rao , is an Indian businessman and media entrepreneur. He is head of the Ramoji Group which owns, among other things, the world's largest film production facility, Ramoji Film City....
film city, with other destinations including Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and Pollachi
Pollachi
Pollachi is a taluk of Coimbatore Rural district of the Tamil Nadu state of India. It lies in the southern part of the Coimbatore city around 40 kilometres from downtown Coimbatore. This is the second largest town in the District after Corporation of Coimbatore. Owing to the proximity to the...
.
A promotional event took place on 19 July 2008 at the Jawarhalal Nehru Stadium. The event focused on the music by G. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer. He has mainly scored music for Tamil, while also doing three Telugu films and a Hindi film...
.
Casting
Apart from the role of Rajnikanth
Rajnikanth
Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor....
, Vasu intended to use entirely different casts in either version of the bilingual film.Livingston
Livingston (actor)
Livingston is a Tamil film actor who usually plays in supporting roles. He is credited in his earlier films by the stage name Ranjan. His first starring role was in Poonthotta Kavalkaran . He started out playing villains and graduated to playing lead roles with Sundara Purushan in 1997...
, Manobala and Santhana Bharathi were added to the cast of the Tamil version, along with Vadivelu
Vadivelu
Vadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards...
who pipped Vivek
Vivek (actor)
Vivekananthan is an Indian film actor and comedian. He has won four Filmfare Best Comedian Awards for his performances in Run, Saamy, Perazhagan and Sivaji, respectively. In April 2009, Vivek received the Padma Shri award by the Government of India for his contribution to the arts. He was...
, Santhanam and Goundamani
Goundamani
Goundamani is a Tamil film actor, comedian and screen icon. He is considered as the greatest comic actor in Kollywood and is renowned for his alliance with fellow actor Senthil.-Early Life:...
to land the role, even though Santhanam managed another role in the film. Furthermore, director S. P. Muthuraman agreed to play a guest role in the film. Despite Trisha Krishnan
Trisha Krishnan
Trisha Krishnan is an Indian film actress and model, who primarily appears in Tamil and Telugu language films, but has also appeared in Hindi language films. She was noticed after winning several beauty pageants like the Miss Madras contest , which marked her entry into filmdom...
's request to appear opposite Rajnikanth, Nayantara
Nayantara
Nayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors...
accepted the role, however finding a female lead opposite Pasupathy was more difficult for the director, with Simran Bagga
Simran Bagga
Rishibala Naval , better known by her Industry name Simran, is an Indian actress who has predominantly appeared in Tamil and Telugu films. She debuted in Bollywood and acted in several Hindi films, before starring in her first Tamil film V.I.P and her first Telugu film Abbai Gari Pelli in 1997...
, Tabu
Tabu (actress)
Tabu is an Indian film actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Bengali language films, as well as one American film...
and Sneha all being considered for the role in the Tamil version. However, Meena who played the role in the original, was offered the role in early February 2008 and accepted it. Throughout the production stages, it had been indicated that several prominent film personalities will appear in cameo appearances throughout the film, however no leading actors were approached. Indications later revealed that five actresses would appear opposite Rajnikanth in a song with the selected being Nayantara, Mamta Mohandas
Mamta Mohandas
Mamta Mohandas is an Indian film actress and playback singer. She has mainly acted in Malayalam films, besides few Telugu and Tamil productions and one Kannada film...
, Kushboo, Suja and Sneha all of whom apart from Nayantara, play minor roles.
In the Telugu version, comedian actors Sunil
Sunil (actor)
Sunil Varma is an actor from the Telugu film industry. His roles usually are to provide comic relief to the audience. In Andala Ramudu , he appeared in the lead role for the first time and his Second one as hero is Maryada Ramanna directed by S. S. Rajamouli...
, Brahmanandam
Brahmanandam
Brahmanandam Kanneganti is an Indian actor, commonly appearing in Telugu films. He was born into a Viswakarma gold smith family. He holds Guinness World Record for acting in the most number of films in a single language. He was starred in over 900 films till date. He is noted for Physical comedy...
, Tanikella Bharani
Tanikella Bharani
Tanikella Bharani is a critically acclaimed, multi-faceted actor from Tollywood and a writer. He is a playwrighter, a dialogue writer, screen writer, poet, magazine editor, an actor and a director...
and Venu Madhav
Venu Madhav (actor)
Venu Madhav is a comedy actor in Tollywood born near Kodada . He has acted in many movies in Telugu , Tamil and Malayalam Languages. Besides an actor, he is a mimicry artist. Venu Madhav started his career with Sampradhayam by S.V.Krishna Reddy.He is also a television anchor, who has hosted...
all signed up to play the roles of Jagapati Babu
Jagapati Babu
Jagapathi Babu is an Indian top actor in the Telugu film industry. He is the son of veteran producer-director V.B. Rajendra Prasad.He is named as manly star in telugu film circuit and is one among top stars of likes like chiranjeevi,bala krishna,nagarjuna,venkatesh.-Career:Jagapathi Babu made...
's fellow villagers. Ileana D'Cruz
Ileana D'Cruz
Ileana D'Cruz is an Indian film actress, who predominantly appears in Telugu cinema. Starting her career as a model, she made her feature film debut in Y.V.S. Chowdhary's 2006 Telugu film Devadasu...
turned down an offer to act in the film, citing date problems. Like the Tamil version, it was said that several prominent Telugu
Telugu people
The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
actors had been approached to be a part of a song in the project, but none were selected.
Technicians were common in both versions in the two films with G. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer. He has mainly scored music for Tamil, while also doing three Telugu films and a Hindi film...
operating as the music composer, whilst Arvind Krishna
Arvind Krishna
Arvind Krishna is an Indian cinematographer, who has worked in the Tamil and the Hindi film industries .-Career:Arvind Krishna, always passionate about photography and studied Visual communication at the Loyola College in Chennai, after which he joined ace cinematographer P. C. Sreeram and worked...
was the cinematographer for the bilingual.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of Kuselan was released on 30 June 2008. The background score has been composed by G. V. Prakash KumarG. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer. He has mainly scored music for Tamil, while also doing three Telugu films and a Hindi film...
along with five songs. The song Cinema Cinema
Cinema Cinema
"Cinema Cinema" is a 2008 Tamil film song from the film Kuselan directed by P. Vasu. The song was sung by Shankar Mahadevan and was composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar. The lyrics were penned by Na. Muthukumar.-Description:...
commemorates the 75th anniversary of Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
. Surya Sivakumar, Sneha, Mamta Mohandas
Mamta Mohandas
Mamta Mohandas is an Indian film actress and playback singer. She has mainly acted in Malayalam films, besides few Telugu and Tamil productions and one Kannada film...
, Dhanush
Dhanush
Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja , better known by his stage name Dhanush , is an Indian film actor, occasional playback singer and lyricist, working in the Tamil film industry...
, Kushboo Sundar
Kushboo Sundar
Nakhat Khan , better known by her stage name Kushboo is an Indian actress, television hostess and producer.-Early life:...
and Soundarya Rajinikanth
Soundarya Rajinikanth
Soundarya Rajinikanth Ashwin is a film graphic designer, producer and director in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India who has contributed in several Tamil films. Soundarya Rajinikanth is most popularly known for her work in Anbe Aaruyire...
appear in this song along with Rajinikanth, Nayantara
Nayantara
Nayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors...
and Vijayakumar
Vijayakumar
Vijayakumar is a Tamil actor and politician. Along with predominant work in Tamil cinema since 1973, he has acted in a few Hindi and Telugu movies. As of 2009, he is acting in the television serial, Thangam, aired on Sun TV.-Early life:...
. Sivaji Ganesan
Sivaji Ganesan
Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan Manrayar , commonly known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan , was an Indian stage and film actor active during the latter half of the 20th century. He is one of the most respected film actors in India. He is well known for his versatility and acting skills with...
, M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
, Rajkumar
Rajkumar
Rajkumar , born as Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju was a popular actor and singer in the Kannada film industry...
and N. T. Rama Rao
N. T. Rama Rao
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao , also known as NTR and fondly referred to as Anna Garu, was an Indian film actor, director, producer, and a politician...
, are also shown in this song.
| No. | Song | Singers | Length (m:ss) | Lyrics | Notes |
| 1 | Cinema Cinema Cinema Cinema "Cinema Cinema" is a 2008 Tamil film song from the film Kuselan directed by P. Vasu. The song was sung by Shankar Mahadevan and was composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar. The lyrics were penned by Na. Muthukumar.-Description:... |
Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:... |
6:08 | Vaali Vaali Vaali is a 1999 Tamil thriller film written and directed by S. J. Suryah. The film stars Ajith Kumar in a dual role with Simran appearing in another leading role. The supporting cast of the film include Jyothika in her debut venture, Livingston and Vivek. The film's music is composed by the music... |
The song commemorates the 75th anniversary of Telugu and Tamil cinemas. Prominent actors play cameos in the song. |
| 2 | Sollamma | Hariharan Hariharan (singer) Hariharan , born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Telugu movies, an established ghazal singer, and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. His melody is strongly appreciated by the film fraternity... , Sujatha Mohan Sujatha Mohan Sujatha Mohan , usually credited as Sujatha, is an award-winning Indian playback singer who is popular for singing in Malayalam and Tamil movies. She has also sung for Telugu, Kannada and Hindi movies. She is widely popular for her evergreen melodies and her sweet voice is considered to be her... , Baby Ranjini & Baby Pooja |
6:13 | Pa. Vijay | A melody picturized on Balakrishnan's family |
| 3 | Om Zaarare | Daler Mehndi Daler Mehndi Daler Mehndi , born August 18, 1967, is an Indian Bhangra pop singer.Mehndi was a student of traditional Punjabi music and his first album broke sales records in India. Since 1995 he has recorded several highly successful albums in India, and also sung as a playback singer for several Hindi movies... , K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra often credited as Chithra , is an Indian playback singer who has made her mark in the Indian music playback industry. Popularly known as Chinna Kuyil of South India, she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Badaga and Punjabi films... & Sadhana Sargam Sadhana Sargam Sadhana Sargam is an acclaimed Indian playback singer. She is a recipient of the prestigious National Film Award and Filmfare Awards.Sargam has sung in many Indian languages for films, television serials and music albums. She is well known for her 90s Hindi songs and recent South Indian songs. She... |
7:12 | Vaali Vaali Vaali is a 1999 Tamil thriller film written and directed by S. J. Suryah. The film stars Ajith Kumar in a dual role with Simran appearing in another leading role. The supporting cast of the film include Jyothika in her debut venture, Livingston and Vivek. The film's music is composed by the music... |
A song on the sets of the film, featuring Rajnikanth Rajnikanth Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor.... and Nayantara Nayantara Nayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors... |
| 4 | Chaaral | Shreya Ghoshal | 4:34 | Kiruthiya | A song featuring Nayantara, picturized in Alappuzha Alappuzha Alappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum... |
| 5 | Perinba Pechukaran | Kailash Kher, V. Prasanna | 5:36 | Yugabharathi | An interlude with the villagers singing in praise of Balakrishnan after discovering his links with Ashok Kumar. |
Reception
Kuselan became the third largest release in the history of Tamil cinemaTamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
, extracting 1000 prints worldwide, numbers exceeded only by Rajnikanth's previous venture, Sivaji. The film upon release, despite the initial hype before release, received negative reviews and unexpectedly took a lukewarm opening at the box office. Unlike previous Rajnikanth
Rajnikanth
Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor....
films, on day two of its release, tickets were available in almost all theatres across Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, with the film failing to get advance bookings. Traders blamed the producers for using Rajinikanth's "larger than life image" to sell it to distributors, Pyramid Saimira for $12 million, when they knew very well that he was only doing a special appearance. More than $1 million worth of pirated DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s were seized around India featuring Kuselan. In Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Rajnikanth's home state, Kuselan failed to bring in $300,000, despite being sold for $600,000.
Pyramid Saimeera declared a loss of 40.32 crore in the 3rd financial quarter of 2008 (a loss of nearly US $8 million, the highest loss for a single film in the Tamil film industry's 100-year history).
Overseas, Kuselan opened at number 12 at the UK box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
, but slid heavily the following week. The film was still labelled as a "colossal flop".
Reviews
The film, upon release, garnered mainly negative reviews. Rediff.com criticized the film as "rushed", however praised PasupathyPasupathy
Pasupathy is an Indian film actor. He has appeared in several critically acclaimed roles in many noted Tamil films, essaying supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles.-Early life and career:...
mentioning that he comes "out the winner" in acting scenes, citing that his portrayal was "poetic". Meena is criticized, with the reviewer claiming that she "tries hard to re-create the original version's magic, but perhaps she has been told to over-do it for Tamil: she wears lipstick and pastel shades of saris for every other scene, while trying to prove that they have no idea where the next meal's going to come from". As for the script, "the freshness of the original has been denuded a little to accommodate dialogues that extol the many virtues of the superstar", becoming worse than that of the original. Whilst labelling Vadivelu
Vadivelu
Vadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards...
as providing "antics are the ones that really make you grin", the rest of the supporting actors Manobala, M. S. Baskar
M. S. Baskar
M. S. Bhaskar is an Indian actor. A former theatre artiste, he has appeared in supporting roles and as a comedian in Tamil TV series and more recently in Tamil films. He is probably best known for his performances in the series Chinna Papa Periya Papa and Selvi and in the films Sivakasi and Mozhi...
, Livingston
Livingston (actor)
Livingston is a Tamil film actor who usually plays in supporting roles. He is credited in his earlier films by the stage name Ranjan. His first starring role was in Poonthotta Kavalkaran . He started out playing villains and graduated to playing lead roles with Sundara Purushan in 1997...
and Vaiyapuri "are absolutely wasted". Director P. Vasu
P. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
is criticized by claiming that his "script must shoulder the responsibility of how Kuselan has ultimately turned out" with the only saving grace being "the original story, which pulls the screenplay from descending into nothing". G. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer. He has mainly scored music for Tamil, while also doing three Telugu films and a Hindi film...
and Thotta Tharani
Thotta Tharani
- Film career :Thota Tharani has been involved in the art of set design since he was just twelve when he helped his father. Be it the creation of a realistic set of the Dharavi Slums or the colourful transparent bus of Kaadhalan, Tharani succeeds in creating the right ambience and the right...
were also singled out by the Rediff reviewer for their adequate performances in their respective fields.
Reviewers also claimed that the producers and P. Vasu
P. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
had attempted to capitalize on Rajnikanth
Rajnikanth
Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor....
's fan following in the film. The Deccan Herald reported that "It’s a big con to exploit brand Rajni and make a quick buck. He himself gallops in on a flying horse almost half way through the tortuous proceedings. His oneliners and quirks fall flat. If at all we are able to see flashes of the Rajni of yore, it’s towards the dying moments. By then it’s too late". This claim was echoed by one Sify.com review claiming the film "tries desperately to glorify Rajinikanth’s larger than life superstardom and create a halo around him as a do-gooder and a saint in real life. It loses its focus and moves away from the gist of the original, which was a simple story about human emotions, based on friendship between an ordinary barber and a superstar." In contrast, another Sify
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited is an Internet service provider established in 1998, based in Chennai, India.-Company profile:...
.com review praised the film labelling it as "above average". It claims that "Rajinikanth towers above all others, especially in the climax scene where there is a lot of melodrama and the human emotions are well etched out". Pasupathy has a "pained expression throughout" whilst "Meena just repeats her performance in the Malayalam version". It however criticizes Vadivelu who is described as "a bit crass and below-the-belt", in reference to his scenes with Sona Heiden. It adds that "Kuselan is quite an enjoyable watch and is different from previous Rajinikanth films" and that the "touching climax will leave a lump in your throat".