My Lord didn’t have the opening day numbers to settle any nerves. Sasikumar admits as much. “Everyone was a little scared looking at the first day collection,” he said. “But I was confident. Everyone said it’s a good film. I knew it would reach more people.” A week into its run, the courtroom drama directed by Raju Murugan is doing what films of its kind sometimes manage: growing through word-of-mouth rather than opening-weekend muscle.
The film follows a man and his wife who are wrongly declared dead and end up fighting a system rotted by a kidney trafficking ring tied to corrupt politicians. It’s political satire, the territory Raju Murugan is known for, but composer Sean Roldan noted something that surprised him about this particular film: the way it connects. “He’s delivered his signature political satire in a way that’s genuinely entertaining for everyone. That was the surprise,” Roldan said. “You can compare box office numbers across films. But only a few films stay in your mind beyond the numbers. My Lord is that kind of film.”
Produced by Jayanthi Ambethkumar under Olympia Movies, the film was shot over 60 days across Kovilpatti and Chennai. Neerav Shah handles the cinematography, with Sathyaraj Natarajan editing and Yugabharathi on lyrics. Chaitra J. Achar stars opposite Sasikumar, with Guru Somasundaram, Jayaprakash, Asha Sarath, and director Gopi Nainar in supporting roles. Performances have drawn consistent praise, with Sasikumar singling out how the entire cast connected with audiences from the first scene.
Sasikumar credited Raju Murugan with showing him in a new light as an actor. “He’s made me look different, beautiful. I’m grateful for that,” he said. He drew a parallel to his earlier film Ayothi, which also started slow before building momentum over its second and third weeks. “That experience gave me the courage here,” he said. The trajectory has since improved considerably: Vijay TV has picked up satellite rights, the film has been acquired for OTT, and Suriya watched it and brought 2D Entertainment on board to present it.
Raju Murugan, who came to filmmaking from journalism, offered a candid take on how the business has changed. “When I started, a writer’s job ended with the writing. A director’s job ended at the shoot. Now you have to put the same intensity into promoting the film as you did into making it,” he said. “I never used to care about promotions and interviews. Now it’s become one of the biggest challenges.”
Producer Ambethkumar called My Lord a bigger personal success than Gypsy, his earlier production. “I’m satisfied. This film will reach where it needs to reach,” he said.
My Lord is running in theatres.