Aug 27, 2026 10:00pm IST
‘Mammootty was the Very First Person on my List’: ‘OM’ Director Rajkumar Periasamy on Casting (EXCLUSIVE)
Tamil film writer and director Rajkumar Periasamy is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film, “OM Chapter 1: Udhiram - The Blood Wood” on October 16, is satisfied with how the film has shaped up and is upbeat about audience’s expectations. In an exclusive interview with Variety India, he explains why action thrillers and multi-star films are back in vogue.
‘OM’ is in its final stage of production and is set to release October 16. Are you happy with the way the film has shaped up?
Even before going into principal production, I had a certain wishlist of actors for my cast. The very first pick was Mammootty Sir for the character of Karthikeyan. The same principle applies to all other actors: be it Dhanush, Indrans, Naseeruddin Shah, Sai Pallavi and Sreeleela. When I went to them with the pitch, they readily accepted. I'm delighted with the way things have turned out. And it's almost complete. Very little patchwork is left.
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When you have a stellar and hugely talented cast, both as a writer and director, do you feel the pressure to do justice to each one of them?
I first write the script and then go in for casting. So, there's clarity because the script is in place. The presence of all these actors only enhances the vision of the film. If the cast is underwhelming, I would have been very disappointed.
What do you attribute the popularity of multi-starrers to?
Post-Covid, much has changed in the industry. I think everybody took a step back and observed things during that gap. I think the evolution has begun since then and the barriers have narrowed. That’s how multi-starrers have become popular again.
Recently, there have been constant date changes when it comes to South films. Why?
In the case of ‘OM,’ it's been genuine post-production reasons or the shooting schedules got delayed due to star dates or location permissions. Often, it is because most filmmakers or producers are eyeing the same important release dates. However, we have a limited number of theatres and therefore, if producers cannot get a date of their choice, they wait for the next better option.
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What do you feel about this current standoff between the Tamil Nadu film producers and theater owners about an eight-week window gap?
When “Amaran” released, we had signed a deal with Netflix and had to deliver it to them after a 28-day window. However, when the film continued to do well post four weeks, Netflix graciously gave us an additional week in theatres. After that, ‘Pushpa 2’ was releasing, so obviously there was going to be a dip. This was my experience, but I don't know if that will be the case every time for every film. There is also a separate audience that keeps waiting for the OTT release. So, I think it is fair on both sides. I think the best outcome will come out after this. There will be some intermediary option for certain sections of the films, at least. For every film, there is a different situation.
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