Atlee believes this is why all his films are ‘working and making money at the box office’

Atlee is producing Baby John, the Hindi adaptation of the Tamil film Theri, starring Varun Dhawan in the lead role. The film is releasing on December 25.

Atlee, who produced Baby John, the Hindi adaptation of his Tamil film Theri, is busy promoting it nationwide. The filmmaker, whose last film Jawan with Shah Rukh Khan was a massive hit, broke down the key to his success in an interview with Pinkvilla, talking about why ‘all his films’ have worked at the box office. (Also Read: Kapil Sharma reacts to backlash against his alleged ‘racist jibes’ at Atlee on The Great Indian Kapil Show)

Shah Rukh Khan and Atlee worked together in the 2023 film Jawan that was a massive box office hit.(AP)

‘That’s why my films are working’

Atlee might only be six films old but all his films have brought in stunning numbers at the box office. The director told the publication that taking risks and nailing ‘mass’ is something that has helped his films bring in the numbers. He spoke about how in Bigil and Theri, actor Vijay trusted him while being shown in an older avatar.

Atlee then added, “For example, when I told Shah Rukh sir for Jawan, sir you wait and watch, Vikram Rathore is going to be a mass character. He just looked at me and said, no sir, girls like me, Azad will be massy. I said, bet sir. After watching the film he told me I was right,” referring to how the older character played by Shah Rukh in the film was a hit with the audience.

The director then reflected on what the term ‘mass’ means to him, stating, “Mass is a mother feeling, not an alien feeling. When you tear for a girl, tear for an emotion, tear for a baby, that is mass. When you get anger for the right reason, that is mass. When you really stand for society, that is mass. Other than that, whatever people call mass is not a mass. This is the real mass…that’s why I think all my films, those areas, are working, and my films are making (money at the) box office. That’s my taraka mantra.”

Upcoming work

Apart from co-producing Baby John, which will be released in theatres on December 25 with Varun Dhawan in the lead role, Atlee is gearing up to announce his next directorial. Salman Khan, who is currently working with AR Murugadoss, is rumoured to have said yes to a project by the director. He also confirmed that he has a Tamil film with Vijay Sethupathi lined up.