Celebrated Actor's Power Play Reignites Tensions with Mentor in Riveting Film 'Kaantha'

Kaantha, a new film directed by Selvamani Selvaraj, transports viewers into the charged, smoke-filled studios of 1950s Madras, delivering a captivating period drama where creativity and ambition collide. At the heart of the story is the complex relationship between a legendary Tamil filmmaker, Ayya, and the star he once discovered and shaped, T.K. Mahadevan.

Their mentor-protégé dynamic fractures when Mahadevan, now a celebrated actor with an inflated sense of power, attempts to commandeer Ayya's new female-centric film. Mahadevan's unilateral decision to rename the project Shaantha to Kaantha and reshape the narrative to suit his heroic persona sparks a creative and emotional war that exposes deep-rooted insecurities and long-suppressed bitterness.

Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati deliver compelling performances that capture both the grandeur and the fragility of fame in this era. Selvaraj's direction embraces the heightened dramatic style of the period, turning theatrical dialogue and expressive acting into deliberate, evocative tools.

Though the story has been tied to the life of M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, the filmmakers affirm that Kaantha stands firmly as an original, fictional tragedy crafted with authenticity and ambition.