Radikaa Sarathkumar pulls off ₹75-crore ‘Thaai Kizhavi’ power move

Tamil comic blockbuster Thaai Kizhavi releases on JioHotstar this week, as actress Radikaa Sarathkumar rewrites rules on pay, age, and women in Tamil films

Thaai Kizhavi, revolving around the elderly Pavunuthaayi (essayed effortlessly by Radikaa Sarathkumar), has gone on to mint more than ₹75 crore worldwide at the box office, powered by women and family audiences. Released last month, the film directed by Sivakumar Murugesan and produced by actor Sivakarthikeyan drops on JioHotstar on March 26.

What is being seen as a bigger power move is that Radikaa, as part of her contract, has received a share in the film’s profit, thus becoming the first actress in the history of Tamil cinema to do so. “I said I wanted to be paid more, because I deserve it. And, we decided on profit sharing. I think all actors should follow this. So many younger actresses have called to say this gives them immense confidence. All I tell them is to build your space, and hold on to it,” says the actress.

Radikaa knows the importance of the space she is speaking about. The actress, who has made a mark across film industries in India (primarily Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada) and ruled regional television for many years, beginning with the serial Chithi, has come a long way from her debut as Paanjali in Bharathiraja’s 1978 Tamil hit Kizhakke Pogum Rail. Hindi-film watchers will recall her as Rishi Kapoor’s naive village-wife with an upturned plait from Naseeb Apna Apna (1986). In the 48 years since her debut, she’s been exploring new frontiers and paving paths. She also won a National Award in 1985 for producing the poignant Meendum Oru Kaadhal Kadhai. And, with Thaai Kizhavi, she proved that a progressive film headlined by a 63-year-old woman can rake in the moolah, too.

Thaai Kizhavi releases on JioHotstar on March 26.

Pavunuthaayi speaks of why women must be educated, prudent and good with finances, and also enjoy their life. An interesting montage shows this matriarch of Usilampatti watching movies, blowing bubbles during her outings to the city. Radikaa says she had almost rejected the film at first. “After reading the script, I was certain I’d be typecast. But Sivakumar showed up at my office for a year-and-a-half, hoping to persuade me. I agreed on the condition that the prosthetics be good. The depth of my role — something so empowering — mattered more to me than the screen time. I was able to own my character’s identity. And, people saw her truth. It is possible to make a choice without being boxed.”

Age is just a number