Reviews don’t matter, whereas the revenue does: Sibi Sathyaraj

Sibi Sathyaraj's Ranga was supposed to hit the theatres two years ago but got released last week. While many other films opted for a direct OTT release, Sibi and team Ranga chose to wait for the cinemas to get reopened.

The actor tells Cinema Express, "Ranga is a thriller made for the theatre experience. It was a tough call to wait for theatres, but producer Vijay K Celliah and director Vinod DL were confident about the decision. The film is the story of a normal guy, for whom his limb becomes both a dreaded enemy and a guardian angel. Ranga has been designed in a way that would make it appealing to everyone."

Sibi Sathyaraj's upcoming film is Ranger which has a tiger playing a crucial role. "I am positive that children will enjoy that film," he tells Cinema Express.

Ranga, incidentally, is Sibi's fourth release to reuse the title of a classic Tamil film. Sibi with a burst of laughter, tells Cinema Express, "Sathya was probably the only film for which we were adamant about reusing an old title. I am a big fan of Kamal sir's original film and we felt that having that title would make a lot of difference. Walter and Ranga were titles chosen by the producers to have an impact."

His last two releases, Ranga and Walter, haven’t exactly won positive reviews. “Yes, Walter didn't fetch a lot of appreciation, but trade-wise, it turned out to be my highest ever opening. It was on the verge of becoming a hit in the B and C centres before the pandemic set in. Sometimes, you do films, not for the reviews but the revenue," he tells Cinema Express.

The review of Ranga on OTTplay read, "Like any other survival thriller, the lead cast of Ranga finds themselves caught in an extraordinary situation. What could have been an experimental survival thriller otherwise, falls flat, owing to the bland writing. Despite gripping performances by Sibi Sathyaraj and Nikhila Vimal, the film doesn't keep you invested. It was also too easy to connect the dots."

While Sibi speaks openly about his future films, he remains guarded about one: Vattam. "Producer SR Prabhu is one of the best strategists in Tamil cinema and he wanted us to maintain a certain suspense about this film," he tells Cinema Express.

Sibi Sathyaraj will be stepping into Telugu cinema with his upcoming bilingual film, directed by Pandiyan Adhimoolam. "The film will suit both the Tamil and Telugu audiences. It is a thriller without supernatural elements, and yet, I am confident that certain portions will frighten everyone. Also, I am learning to speak Telugu and it’s exciting to learn a new language. It’s like new horizons are opening up," Sibi informs Cinema Express.