Immortal success: GV Prakash gets an RX100

GV Prakash Kumar had an RX100 waiting for him at the Immortal success celebration. Producer Arunkumar Dhanasekaran gifted the actor the motorcycle and a watch, turning the team’s reunion into a thank-you for a collaboration that had demanded a long wait for its visual effects.

The fantasy thriller, starring GV Prakash and Kayadu Lohar, opened on September 4. For debut director Mariyappan Chinna and first-time producer Arunkumar, the gathering was a chance to share what the audience response meant to the people who had stayed with the film through its making and release.

GV Prakash put the producer’s patience at the centre of his remarks. Arunkumar had waited through the CG work without compromising on the film’s quality, he said. “This success is the reward for his patience and belief.”

He also thanked editor Shan Lokesh for first bringing the project to him, and Gopi Prasannaa and his team for their work on the posters and promotions. Seeing Immortal trend after its release had been especially satisfying because he could see how happy it made the producer.

Arunkumar, in turn, credited GV Prakash with supporting the film from the shoot through the promotional trips to Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli. The producer said the team had been particular about getting the technical work right for an unusual genre. That commitment to the creature effects had also been a recurring theme when they spoke about Immortal ahead of its release.

He said the film had opened on more than 250 screens, with additional shows and larger screens following the response over its first weekend. GV Prakash similarly recalled the move from smaller screens on Friday to bigger ones on Saturday and Sunday. Sakthivelan, who was also presented with a watch, said collections had grown show by show in places including Salem, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Hosur and Rasipuram.

Sam CS said his confidence in the film had begun with watching it. “It wasn’t overconfidence,” he said. He had believed the film would connect with the audience, and was happy to see that belief rewarded. A story and ambitious filmmaking alone did not make a success, he added; the honest effort and positive energy of everyone involved mattered too. He singled out the time and patience Arunkumar had invested in the production.

Mariyappan Chinna thanked the media for helping his first film reach viewers, then acknowledged the people behind its sound and images: cinematographer Arun Radhakrishnan, the stunt team, Mahi and the VFX team, Gopi Prasannaa, and Shiva on the mixing work, alongside his producer, lead actor and composer.

Arun Radhakrishnan spoke about the media’s part in taking the film to audiences. Editor Rajesh said several directors had called to congratulate him after the release, encouragement that meant a great deal to him. Both acknowledged the support of their colleagues through the production.

The supporting cast had their own reasons to value the response. Kumar Natarajan praised the clarity with which Mariyappan had narrated the story and carried it onto the screen. He also spoke warmly of GV Prakash’s commitment, Kayadu’s performance and Tamil delivery, and the contribution of the CG work and Sam CS’s score. Mridula said her role was small, but she had enjoyed the experience, particularly getting to take part in action scenes.

For TM Karthik, whose part brings a different weight to Immortal’s survival story, the reviews had offered something more personal. Having left the IT sector for cinema, he said he sometimes questioned whether he belonged in the industry. The attention this performance had received helped answer that doubt: “The reviews have given me the confidence that there is a place for us in this industry too.”

Karthik wanted the same team to make another film together, in an entirely different genre. His wish came with a practical note: take what they had learned, correct the mistakes made on this film, and make the next one better.