‘96’ Movie: Vijay Sethupathi-Trisha Starrer Was Originally a Bollywood Project, Reveals Director Prem Kumar

Did you know the Tamil cult classic '96, starring the iconic duo Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan, was initially conceived as a Bollywood film? Director Prem Kumar made this surprising revelation at the Indian Screenwriters Conference (ISC).

The 2018 blockbuster, which tells the heartwarming story of a 1996 batch reunion, almost took a different path. Prem Kumar shared his initial vision. As per a popular media source, he said, "'96 was originally written for Hindi cinema, and I wanted to pitch it to Abhishek Bachchan, but I didn't have the contacts!"

Why Bollywood? Prem, who also directed the recent hit Meiyazhagan, explained his connection to Hindi cinema. "I know Hindi very well, and my father grew up in North India. So, I was constantly exposed to Hindi cinema in my childhood. My favourite actor was Naseeruddin Shah. I have written a script for Hindi now. The main reason for my interest in Hindi cinema is the diversity of the audience and not the scale," he said, as per the source.

As per the media source, the ISC panel, titled The South Saga - Rooted, Relevant, and Revolutionary, also shed light on other important issues in South Indian cinema. Director Christo Tomy (Ullozhukku) discussed the challenges of making films in the Kerala film industry, while Hemanth M Rao (Sapta Sagaradaache Ello) and Vivek Athreya (Saripodha Sanivaaram) highlighted the struggles of writers in their respective industries. Hemanth emphasised the lack of recognition and proper compensation for writers, while Athreya noted how this often forces writers to become directors.