'Chiyaan' Vikram's 'Cobra': SonyLIV bags streaming rights post theatrical run?
Tamil cinema has been putting up an impressive show lately with films like Dhanush's Thiruchitrambalam and Karthi's Viruman turning into crowd-pullers and lighting up the box office. Now, initial reports indicate Vikram's Cobra is headed that way, too. Cobra is pegged as an action thriller with 'Chiyaan' Vikram in the titular role and has locked SonyLIV for its OTT premiere, suggest recent media reports.
Why does this story matter?
Post-pandemic, the audience's watching patterns have undergone a sea of change with not everyone preferring the cinemas all the time, thus making OTT platforms a crucial player in the game. Moreover, Cobra is Vikram's comeback to celluloid after about two years. His previous film Maahan was a direct-to-OTT release, while the two releases before that, Saamy Square and Kadaram Kondan were box office duds.
Fans heap praises on Vikram's performance in 'Cobra'
Also featuring Srinidhi Shetty, Cobra is directed by Ajay Gnanamuthu, who, in the past, has directed Demonte Colony and Imaikkaa Nodigal. Although Cobra is facing criticism for its confusing narrative and lengthy runtime, Vikram is being lauded for his performance. It's yet to be seen how it will fare at the box office in the coming days, though early trends imply an upward swing.
Vikram's 'Ponniyin Selvan: 1' is heading for release too
Post Cobra, Vikram has Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 to look forward to. Ponniyin Selvan has locked a release date of September 30. The film, which is based on the epic Tamil fantasy novel of the same name by Kalki, comes with a star-studded ensemble cast of the likes of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Trisha, among others.
All you need to know about 'Ponniyin Selvan 1'
Ponniyin Selvan has been co-written by Elango Kumaravel and B Jeyamohan. Ratnam's regular collaborator AR Rahman has composed the music with Ravi Varman cranking the camera. A Sreekar Prasad is in charge of the edits while the magnum opus is jointly produced by Ratnam's production banner Madras Talkies and Allirajah Subaskaran's Lyca Productions. Ponniyin Selvan's second part is also on the anvil.