Rajesh back to his alcohol fixation?

Director Rajesh has been often accused of glorifying booze in his films. Though he conceded that his initial films had several TASMAC scenes, he claimed that he had consciously reduced such scenes over the years to reflect the shift in direction in society. But with VSOP, things have taken a U-turn again.

In his debut film Siva Manasula Sakthi, the lead and the supporting actor were seen inebriated most of the time; in his subsequent films, Rajesh brought the drinking down to select occasions. And in his fourth film, All In All Azhagu Raja, starring Karthi in the lead, Rajesh had totally eliminated the presence of cigarette smoking or alcohol consumption on screen. But the film bombed badly at the box office. Alcohol provided the edginess that was otherwise absent, and so he resorted to his old policy and titled his next as VSOP (an acronym of Vasuvum Saravananum Onna Padichavanga but also for Very Superior Old Pale, as in VSOP Cognac, a high end liquor).

VSOP had several drinking scenes of the lead actors, Arya and Santhanam. Now that the film is a success, the director’s next outing is aptly named Kudiyum Kuduthanamum. Actor Jiiva is teaming up with Rajesh once again after SMS. Though Kudiyum Kuduthanamum refers to someone who has settled happily in family life, it could also mean a person who always drinks!