EXCLUSIVE: Rana Daggubati reveals why Neelira releases on original date while Mohanlal’s Drishyam 3 is postponed

Rana Daggubati and director Karthik Subbaraj are collaborating as producers for the upcoming anti-war film Neelira. As several films, including Drishyam 3, have reportedly postponed their releases due to tense situations in Gulf countries, the producers have candidly opened up about why they are choosing to release the movie on its originally announced date.

Rana Daggubati opens up on Neelira sticking to original release date

Speaking with Pinkvilla, Rana Daggubati said, “First in Tamil cinema, this will become a very mainstream film. If we just take glimpses from the trailer launch, half the Tamil industry, in terms of directors, were there, who had such passion while talking about this. I have been to various film events, and I even said to Karthik (Subbaraj) that I have never seen anything like this before.”

The actor-producer added, “Usually, it is very generic. You call some people, they say some nice things about the director, speak well about Karthik, and say, ‘good, you guys are doing it,’ and that’s it. But this time, everyone had a point of view on why cinema like this has to be made and why this film is so important. This was one of the few times when people watched the film and then came to an event like this.”

Rana continued, “That is when I understood that it is such a personal issue, and there is so much of the country that wants representation, that wants a voice in that manner. So, for Tamil, we are treating it like a mainstream film. In every other territory, I feel like the subtitle audience has grown quite dramatically. Whether it’s Korean films releasing in India or Spanish movies releasing on networks, we are all interested in everything that has deep culture, whether it’s global culture or Indian culture. I think many films from different parts of the country are doing that. Post-2020, there have been many movies in the South with deep cultural roots. I think this movie will take that route as well.”

Here’s the interview