Director Ajay Gnanamuthu expresses regret over doing Vikram-starrer Cobra - ‘I was compelled to..’

Director Ajay Gnanamuthu, who is awaiting the release of his horror-thriller sequel, Demonte Colony 2, recently opened up about the failure of Vikram’s 2022 film Cobra. During a recent promotional interview for Demonte Colony 2, the director revealed that he was compelled to take on Vikram’s film and was not confident about its success. 

Ajay Gnanamuthu on why he did Cobra

Ajay shared that he initially approached the producer with a different script, which was rejected. “I initially went to the producer with a script, which was turned down. Later, I worked with a writer on another script, which also got rejected. So, towards the end, the producer brought me a script and said, 'Let's make a movie based on this,’” the director said. 

He added that he was not impressed by the script provided by the producer. “I was not convinced and felt that the script had flaws at its core. The thing is, you can make a lot of changes to a script, but not to the core theme of the story.” 

 Ajay further explained that after spending almost eight months on the project, he was unsure if he wanted to proceed with the film. However, the producer was persistent and confident about it, compelling Ajay to take on the project. “I was compelled to do the project since other team members were confident about it, and I thought maybe I was overthinking it. So, I took up the project and developed a screenplay based on the one-liner. However, that one line became the costliest mistake I’ve made. I should not have done that story,” the director admitted. 

Also read: Demonte Colony 2: Arulnithi reveals plans to expand the horror-thriller franchise

About Cobra

For the unversed, Cobra, starring Vikram and produced by SS Lalith Kumar, was released in 2022 and received mixed to negative responses from audiences and critics, alike. The film, a psychological action thriller, revolves around an Interpol officer tasked with catching a mysterious assassin, who uses mathematical skills to carry out his killings. Upon its release, the film received heavy criticism for its length and monotonous screenplay, which led to its failure at the box office. 

Demonte Colony 2 release

Meanwhile, Ajay’s upcoming horror-thriller sequel Demonte Colony 2, starring Arulnithi and Priya Bhavani Shankar, is set to hit the big screens on August 15, 2024. 

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