Veeran, perhaps, Tamil cinema’s first legit superhero film is all set to hit the marquee this Friday. Unlike PS Mithran’s Hero (2019) or Mysskin’s Mugamudi (2012), in which vigilant protagonists wore a mask to fight crime Hiphop Tamizha Adhi’s character in Veeran has actual superpowers— to wield and shoot lightning bolts. But doesn’t the concept bear an uncanny resemblance to the popular Malayalam superhero film, Minnal Murali (2021)? It does, and naturally, it was a cause of severe concern for team Veeran.
Days before the release of Veeran, the film’s lead actor and music composer walks us through the initial state of disappointment and confusion when the Malayalam film premiered on Netflix in December 2021, when Veeran, then titled Minnal Veeran, was all about to roll. “Initially, my director, ARK Saravanan, was shocked and sad when we learned about Minnal Murali because he had been piecing this puzzle together and perfecting the script for a very long time. When the announcement came, he contacted the director of Minnal Murali, Basil Joseph, through our cinematographer and discussed his concerns with him. Once he learned that both the films are quite different from one another, he was happy and relieved,” Adhi says, adding that being the considerate person ARK Saravanan is, he asked the actor what he thinks about the whole situation. “I told him that I don’t think anything and I simply want to do the film because I loved the script. It’s more than a superhero film because it has other elements too. For instance, we discuss deities from Tamil culture in the film. ”
Adhi goes on to add that the filmmaker eventually decided to let go of the word Minnal from the title and the film’s current title, Veeran, wasn’t even given a thought, with the team assuming that the title wouldn’t be available considering it’s a popular word. “We decided to change the title from Minnal Veean to Veeran solely to avoid comparisons with Minnal Murali. If the viewers come to the theatres expecting a Minnal Murali, they’ll be disappointed. It’s a very different film. Even though ARK Saravanan is just one film old (he debuted in 2017 with the fantasy comedy Maragadha Naanayam), he has a unique style and brand of humour. Veeran's world is different,” Adhi says, adding that he was surprised when he learned that the title Veeran was available. “When we checked for the title, we learned that Veeran wasn’t registered and immediately, we all decided to go with it.”
For Adhi, who grew up with Shaktimaan and He-Man, Veeran is more than a star vehicle. It’s an opportunity for him to connect with kids and be an important part of their childhood. “I still remember dialogues and scenes from Shaktimaan, which I watched as a kid. It’s lovely how something you watched as a kid gets imprinted in your mind. When kids who will be watching Veeran now grow up eventually, if I can be a part of their nostalgia, that would be a gift for me. I’m really blessed to do this. That’s how I see Veeran.”