Ajith Kumar’s Nerkonda Paarvai has turned out to be a major hit of his career. The film, produced by Boney Kapoor and Zee Studios, is the remake of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer, Pink. Nerkonda Paarvai has collected phenomenally well in the first five days (it had opened in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, August 8, instead of the customary Friday). Not just in Tamil Nadu, the film released in Mysore and Kerala too. Overseas, it has grossed upwards of US $2 million or, in other words, an equivalent of Rs. 14 crore in the first weekend.
Nerkonda Paarvai was off to a flying start on Thursday. Believe it or not, a single multiplex in Madras, Mayajaal, conducted 106 shows of the film on Thursday as well as Friday, such was the demand for tickets. That means, all the 13 screens of Mayajaal pretty much conducted shows round the clock on the first two days to accommodate the surging crowds.
Given the flying start the film has taken, it is anybody’s guess that the film will soon join the Rs. 100-crore club in Tamil Nadu. Ajith Kumar, one of the biggest stars of Tamil cinema today, is a force to reckon with in Tamil Nadu and has a huge fan following. His latest film is not only being loved by his loyal fans but by the public in general too. Ladies and family audiences have started flocking the cinemas screening Nerkonda Paarvai from today (Monday, August 12). Scenes in the film are being greeted with huge rounds of thunderous applause. What Boney has, in effect, done is that he has remade Pink in Tamil, with the Salman Khan of Tamil cinema playing the role which was essayed by Amitabh Bachchan in the Hindi original. Since Ajith Kumar is the current heartthrob, director H. Vinoth made sure that he kept an action sequence in the film. This action scene is driving the public crazy in the cinema halls as the deafening claps and whistles make it impossible for the audience to hear the dialogues in the action scene. For those who came in late, Vidya Balan makes a special appearance in the Pink remake. She plays Ajith Kumar’s wife in the film.
Boney Kapoor involved Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, the writer-director of Pink, in the scripting of the Tamil remake. It may be mentioned here that Aniruddha had wanted to make the film in Bengali. Ultimately, he made it in Hindi. Pink marked the debut of Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury in Hindi cinema. Although the Tamil remake is the same as the Hindi original, the South makers have made a few changes. Like, for instance, the action sequence of Ajith Kumar in the remake is fresh since there was no such scene involving Amitabh Bachchan in Pink.
Ajith Kumar and Boney Kapoor go a long way. Several years back, Ajith Kumar had made a cameo appearance in the Tamil dubbed version of English Vinglish starring Boney’s wife, Sridevi. Although it was dubbed in Tamil, the film’s producers had reshot one scene in the film for the Tamil dubbed version. That scene was the one in which Amitabh Bachchan had made a friendly appearance in English Vinglish. To capitalise on the popularity of Ajith Kumar in Tamil cinema, the producers had decided to shoot a scene afresh with Ajith in place of Amitabh. Recalls a grateful Boney, “Ajith had not charged a single rupee for the appearance. So much so that he did not even charge for his make-up man and hair dresser.” Coincidentally, in Nerkonda Paarvai too, Ajith has played the role originally played by Bachchan in Pink. Actually, much before Boney and Ajith Kumar became friends, Boney’s wife, Sridevi, and Ajith Kumar’s wife, Shalini, had been friends. Shalini and Sridevi had worked in several Tamil films as co-stars. And the two got along very well. It was probably because the wives knew each other so well that Ajith refused to accept any remuneration for his appearance in English Vinglish.
Incidentally, Vidya Balan also worked gratis in Nerkonda Paarvai. In fact, that was her pre-condition when she agreed to make a special appearance in the Pink remake. She told Boney that she would happily work in the film but only if he would not insist on paying her. It is common knowledge that Vidya adored Sridevi and was a huge fan of the super-talented actress.
Says Boney about the runaway success of the film: “I’m sure, Sri is sending the film her blessings from up there. We always knew, we had made a good film, but we never expected it to open like this. Every cinema hall screening the film is a virtual mad house; people are screaming and shouting with joy each time Ajith Kumar delivers a line or packs a punch in the film.” Tomorrow (13th August) is Sridevi’s birth anniversary. “We will have a pooja at home,” informs Boney, his voice dropping to conceal his emotions which even today get the better of him whenever her name crops up in a conversation. After that, Boney will fly to Bali on a social visit.