The Kamal Haasan–Rajinikanth reunion film: Is Nelson the right choice?

The promo of the KH x RK reunion film has turned heads. The film has music scored by Anirudh and cinematography by Rajiv Menon. But is director Nelson the best creative choice for this massive project? We debate

Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth walk together into a garage and get into a car. Kamal takes the driver’s seat, and Rajini sits next to him. Before they can speed off, they pose to director Nelson and composer Anirudh the inevitable question that is on everybody’s lips: who is the hero?

That is anyone’s guess, considering the KH x RH Reunionwill take a while to hit screens, but for now, the biggest discussion in Tamil cinema – on who will be the chosen director to bring these two Tamil superstars together – is settled.

It is Nelson, and I am thrilled.

For starters, the promo has pushed the project into top gear. Nelson and Anirudh have a great track record of releasing funny promos for their material – the Doctor song promos, the ‘Arabic Kuthu’ (Beast) promo and the ‘Kaavala’ (Jailer) are light, funny and irreverent at the same time. The two inject the same ingredient in an adequate dose here, too. For those away from Tamil Nadu, this could well be a lesson in film marketing.

What I’m looking forward to in this project is its comic touches, something the director displayed in plenty in his previous works, Kolamavu Kokila and Doctor. Both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan’s trysts with comedy are well known – who can forget the Superstar’s performance in Thillu Mullu, in which, incidentally, Kamal played a cameo? Kamal, on the other hand, has a proven track record with this genre, with a successful collaboration with the late comic playwright Crazy Mohan, with whom he gave some unforgettable films like Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Avvai Shanmughi and Panchanthanthiram.

I hope Nelson largely stays away from guns, a common feature in today’s Tamil cinema, and makes this ‘Reunion’ a light-hearted, fun film that we can watch and re-watch.