There is stardust in the air, finally. After a rather dull few months for Tamil audiences in theatres, the coming-of-age film Star, headlined by Kavin, has raised hopes for a possible revival in the scene. Long in the making, Star is Pyaar Prema Kaadhal-director Elan’s attempt to chart the unforgiving journey of a young man who dreams of becoming an actor. Elan seems confident that Star will usher in a comeback of sorts for Tamil cinema, but adds that he never envisioned the film would release during such a phase. “Any good film that’s releasing now would aid in that revival, but Star is not the kind of film we could work on after setting a deadline; it features Kavin in multiple looks and we had to wait for him to put on or lose weight.”
The anticipation has been amplified on social media for Star, bolstered by the songs composed by the renowned Yuvan Shankar Raja and the popularity that Kavin has been enjoying, especially after last year’s Dada. The promotional strategy seems particularly effective, given the buzz surrounding its well-crafted trailer. The three-minute video feels like a mini-movie, providing a substantial glimpse into the narrative. “I’ve always been a fan of the Hollywood-esque trailer that’s linearly cut and reveals more than what producers or editors are usually comfortable with. That’s what we’ve done here. For a genre like this, moments matter more than the surprises and it’s important to convey the emotional essence of the film,” says Elan.
The director’s journey with Star began as early as 2020, when the project was announced under a different production banner with Harish Kalyan in the lead; however, it was shelved in 2021 and later revived with Kavin stepping into the spotlight last year. It was Kavin’s compelling performance in Dada that seems to have left a significant impression on Elan. “I can’t point to a particular moment in Dada, but the feel of his performance throughout the movie impressed me.”
Elan acknowledges the scarcity of young actors in Tamil cinema like Kavin or Harish Kalyan who possess the aptitude to embody such dynamic coming-of-age roles. “In Tamil cinema, there aren’t many heroes in general. Comparatively, if you see Telugu cinema, there are some 50-odd heroes.”
Delays often cool a director’s enthusiasm for their scripts, but for Elan, the postponement allowed Star’s plot to mature. “I used the time to work on the script and see it evolve further. Sometimes, minute nuances can end up becoming the stand-out feature of the film; in Star, an idea I got at the very last minute made the whole film fulfilling to me.”
This cinematic endeavor began as a narrative inspired by a short film script called Meesai that Elan initially composed for a friend. When the project didn’t come to fruition, it became the opening scene in Star. The movie’s concept was also driven by Elan’s personal distress about the relentless trolling endured by celebrities on social media. “So I thought, ‘What if I show the journey of a person with dreams of becoming an actor?’ Then the hardship in that story should make people empathise with the struggles of the artists.”
Director Elan had to confront the limitations inherent in compressing the life story of an aspiring actor into a mere two hours of film. Yet, he believes that these constraints test a writer’s skill—in depicting rich relationships and pivotal events without disrupting the narrative flow.
As the perspectives on motivational films are shifting, Elan’s Star appears to examine the cost of chasing one’s dreams. “If Ajith Kumar’s Mugavaree released today, the originally shot negative ending would be celebrated more. With Star, the destination of this character comes secondary, and it is more about the journey that he undertakes to go there. I believe that we should all give the process more importance than the destination… because not everyone would reach the end goal.” Elan’s outspoken belief is that success is often an illusion, reflecting the changing values of today’s more conscious audience.
The film industry itself was once thought to be an uninteresting subject for movies, but the success of films like Varshangalkku Shesham suggests otherwise. Elan credits social media for creating a personal connection between fans and the film industry, making Star not just a narrative about cinema, but the life journey of someone with silver screen aspirations.
Elan’s own dreams have evolved over the years, from aspiring actor to passionate filmmaker, and although acting remains a lingering wish, directing is where his true passion lies. Star is poised to debut in theaters this Friday, promising to add a compelling chapter to the larger narrative of Indian cinema.
