Dhanush and Karthi to face off again at the box office with Naane Varuven and Ponniyin Selvan-1?

It is no secret that the first instalment of Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan adaptation (PS-1) will hit the screens on September 30. Unconfirmed reports now claim that Selvaraghavan's directorial, Naane Varuven, starring Dhanush, will be released on the same day. However, we await an official confirmation. But, if this is true, Karthi and Dhanush will clash at the box office once more, following Kutty vs Aayirathil Oruvan (2010), Aadukalam vs Siruthai (2011), Kodi vs Kaashmora (2016), Karnan vs Sulthan (2021), and Thiruchitrambalam vs Viruman (2022).

The makers of Naane Varuven released new posters on Monday, hinting at a "soon" theatrical release. This film, directed by Selvaraghavan, marks the director's 11-year reunion with his brother Dhanush. The duo collaborated on Mayakkam Enna, the last. (2011)

Dhanush plays two roles in Naane Varuven. In one poster, we see the Thiruchitrambalam actor wearing a beard and glasses, while in another, he is clean-shaven and intense. The release of films starring major actors on the same weekend is not a new phenomenon in Tamil cinema. However, the industry has always preferred a single release to fill up screen space. With multiple films throwing their hats into the ring, there may be a rush for theatres and revenue.

In the Hindi film industry, all big movies can open solo because they plan the release much in advance. Naturally, they don't seem to mind the box-office clash, even though some argue that two big movies released at the same time eat into each other's revenues. In terms of theatres, this is a good thing. Various movies can be displayed on screens. However, only the producers can devise a solution to reduce box office clutter.

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Mani Ratnam's most recent theatrical release, was in 2018. He funded his assistant Dhana's Vaanam Kottatum in 2020. He also wrote Coffee, Anyone? the same year. The series, directed by his wife Suhasini, was part of the anthology Putham Pudhu Kaalai, which was released on Amazon Prime Video. Furthermore, the Ponniyin Selvan director conceived the nine-film anthology Navarasa with Jayendra Panchapakesan (co-founder, Qube Cinemas). It was a fundraising initiative to support those in the cinema industry who were affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

On the other hand, Selvaraghavan's last film as a director was Nenjam Marappathillai, starring SJ Suryah, in the lead.