Kubera Clicked, But Idli Backfired Badly!

Talented Tamil actor Dhanush has the reputation of making some of the quality films in South Indian cinema. But for a change, his latest film, Idli Kadai was outrightly rejected by all sections of the audience.

A few months ago, Kubera released in Telugu and Tamil amid high expectations. It received strong praise and very positive reviews. Even though Tamil star Dhanush led the film, Telugu audiences embraced it wholeheartedly.

After the shocker Love Story, director Sekhar Kammula found renewed success as Kubera is now considered one of his finest works. The film enhanced the reputation of its cast and crew.

However, while Kubera did well in Telugu, its reception in Tamil was far less favorable. Tamil audiences, often seen as supportive of diverse and innovative cinema, largely rejected it. The outcome was a rude surprise for everyone involved, including Dhanush.

Now, the same Tamil audience seems to be favoring Idli Kottu, a film with routine sentiment and familiar tropes revolving around a father-son relationship. It isn’t groundbreaking by content, and even Dhanush’s performance doesn’t introduce anything new. Still, Tamil viewers are connecting with it, while Telugu audiences have turned away, calling it mundane.

This contrast raises questions. Did the very originality that defined Kubera work against it? Or have we subconsciously biased ourselves to uplift films by Telugu filmmakers while ignoring them when they transcend language? Perhaps Idli Kottu’s success merely reflects Tamil audiences’ growing appetite for formulaic entertainment, while Kubera may really have been ahead of its time.