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LMK'S FILM SPOT

By Kaushik L M

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LINGAA SWOT ANALYSIS

Arguably the biggest movie event of the year for any Tamil cinema buff arrives this Friday, the 12th of December, in the form of Superstar Rajini's Lingaa which is set for a worldwide release on the day, in both Tamil and Telugu in massive number of screens. Here we dissect the movie and do a SWOT analysis to understand the Lingaa phenomenon even more.

Lets Begin

Strengths

Nothing more needs to be said about what the evergreen, ageless Superstar Rajini brings to the table whenever he is the leading face of a film - massive goodwill and hype among all sections of the audience and the media, huge business prospects for everyone concerned with the film trade, massive worldwide release in almost every possible Tamil cinema screen, newer release markets, and the eyeballs of anyone even remotely interested in Indian cinema. Lingaa also benefits immensely from all these standard Rajini facets. And with dual roles, the treat just becomes all the more sumptuous.
We have more 'names' associated with the film, who are undoubted plus points. K.S.Ravikumar, A.R.Rahman and Dop Randy have all enjoyed immense success and a long fruitful working relationship with the Superstar, and their presence makes Lingaa richer and safer in every aspect. Can Lingaa repeat the kind of success that Muthu, Padayappa or Endhiran enjoyed?
The names just don't end there - Sonakshi Sinha, Anushka Shetty, Santhanam lead a very strong support cast list. There are many more talented artistes - upcoming and established, to add more color and variety to the Lingaa fare.
The story of the film addresses the issue of linking of national rivers and seems to have a serious social interest angle. This adds a lot to the 'substance' element of Lingaa, along with all the style factors that a commercial Rajini film is known for.
On the evidence of the well-received trailer, good stunts, authentic VFX and picturesque locations tick more boxes in favor of the film.
The grand production values and massive scale of the film make Lingaa a sure-shot big screen spectacle, if you even need a reason beyond Rajini, to visit the nearby cinema hall.

Weaknesses

The music of the film hasn't managed the kind of appeal that the previous Rajini - Rahman albums did. This may change once the film releases, and with the placement, the story may altogether be different. Let's wait and watch. But the trailer had a sense of 'deja vu' in the way the songs' visuals and treatment, had a strong resemblance to Sivaji The Boss.
The run time of more than 2 hours 55 minutes seems really long on paper, that too in the current trend where people have very limited attention spans. But if the film engages and grips the viewers, then Lingaa is a likely blockbuster along the lines of other 'long' Rajini films like Endhiran and Padayappa.
And like all Superstar biggies, Lingaa carries with it the burden of relentless expectations. Nothing short of the very best would satisfy a demanding audience.

Opportunities

Whenever a Rajini film releases, the opportunities open up for newer and bigger box-office records. His Endhiran collection benchmarks are yet to be breached by a Tamil film, and Lingaa would be eyeing the very top. In Tamil, in Telugu, in Hindi, in India, in overseas markets etc. etc. opportunities galore to create box-office history.
In the current scene when films breathe down each other's necks and jostle for space in a really crowded line-up, Lingaa would reportedly be assured of a clean run in all the important big screens till the Pongal biggies arrive. This only opens up the box-office possibilities even more, that too if reviews turn out to be positive. Will Lingaa bring back the days of genuine '100 day hits'?
Sonakshi Sinha would be looking at Lingaa as her 'big bang' entry to the lucrative Tamil industry and with Tamil cine fans' liking for chubby, round faced women, Sonakshi has all that it takes.
The likes of Karunakaran would also be eyeing the big world of commercial bonanzas, with Lingaa's outcome.

Threats

When you have 'The Boss' in action, the threats don't really come from any other star or his movies. The others would just have to sit back, watch the thespian in action and wait for the storm to subside. Of course, we have the omnipresent, omnipotent threat from piracy, one which the industry is still trying hard to curb.

In all, Lingaa has all the positives stacked in its favor with very few negatives. All signs point to a long, glorious run at the box-office if the film is accepted.

See you soon !!!

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