Vettaiyan: How a star-studded cast can be both a blessing and a curse for the Rajinikanth film

Superstar Rajinikanth and director TJ Gnanavel's latest film Vettaiyan will hit theaters on October 10. Before the film hits cinemas, advance ticket sales are in full swing. The star-studded cast of Vettaiyan caught everyone's attention when it was announced. However, it could either be its greatest asset or a potential threat to the action drama that delivers a solid message.

Vettaiyan brings together two legends, Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan, 33 years after Hum. Apart from the two actors, the film also stars Rana Daggubati, Fahadh Faasil, Manju Warrier and Abhirami in key roles. The cast also includes young and promising actors, Dushara Vijayan and Ritika Singh, who have delivered strong performances in their previous films.

While the advance bookings for 'Vettaiyan' look promising, a big challenge awaits the film.

Here is the trailer:

With director TJ Gnanavel at the helm, one can be sure that the film will be much more than just a star vehicle. Through the trailer, Vettaiyan will discuss extrajudicial killings and the ethical dilemmas associated with them. His previous film, Jai Bhim, starring Suriya, Manikandan and Lijomol Jose in the lead roles, dealt with issues such as police brutality, custodial torture and caste injustice.

Although TJ Gnanavel has a star-studded cast to carry the message, this could also pose a threat to the film. With Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati and Manju Warrier in the cast, a lot depends on TJ Gnanavel writing solid roles for these powerhouse artists. If there isn't a proper character arc for these actors, it can undermine the hype surrounding the film.

Take director Nelson Dilipkumar's Jailer, for example. The film brought together Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar and Jackie Shroff. However, he made it clear on the day of the announcement that the stars from other film industries would play cameo roles.

Here is the trailer for Jailer:

But that is not the case with Vettaiyan. Director TJ Gnanavel promised a content-driven film and it remains to be seen whether the roles justify the star power of Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati and Manju Warrier.

In recent interviews, the filmmaker mentioned that Vettaiyan places a lot of emphasis on content. He also deliberately asked music director Anirudh Ravichander to avoid blaring background music so that the audience's attention rests on the story and not the songs.

Vettaiyan is an action drama that could be a great mix of content and star power. And when the film hits theaters on October 10, we'll know if director TJ Gnanavel has hit the right note.