The Karthi-starrer Japan released theatrically in 2023 and received negative reviews from critics, ultimately failing at the box office. Almost three years after its release, the film’s director Raju Murugan has finally broken his silence on the film.
Raju Murugan on Karthi’s Japan failure
In a conversation with Sudhir Srinivasan, director Raju Murugan admitted that the failure of the film was entirely his responsibility and also revealed that he initially wanted to make it as a web series.
The director said, “Every film we make starts with great confidence. However, during the process, something happens that leaves it incomplete. Something went wrong while cooking in Japan. I must say that Karthi sir was always with me while making the film. As an artiste he was very supportive and agreed wholeheartedly to experiment.”
He further added, “When he came on board, I came up with the idea of ​​adding more elements. Initially, I wanted to make the project an eight-episode web series. The producers read the story and suggested we make it as a film, and that’s how it became a film script.”
Concluding his statement, the filmmaker reiterated that the film’s failure was his fault, saying, “I say this again and again, Japan is completely Raju Murugan’s fault. I don’t blame anyone else. I wanted to make something else, but during the process, I couldn’t make it the way I wanted, and that was my fault.”
For those unaware, Japan is a heist action comedy starring Karthi in the lead role. The film tells the story of a thief named Japan Muni who steals jewels and uses his fortune. However, as his deeds catch up with him, the man, who is also revealed to be dying of a fatal disease, gets embroiled in a cat-and-mouse battle with the police, leading to complete chaos.
Apart from Karthi, the film also stars Anu Emmanuel, Sunil, Vagai Chandrasekhar, KS Ravikumar, Jeetan Ramesh and others in lead roles. The film is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
karthi’s upcoming movie
Karthi is all set to hit the big screen with his espionage action thriller Sardaar 2. Directed by PS Mithran, the film stars SJ Suryah and Malavika Mohanan in the co-lead roles and is slated to release in summer this year.
Additionally, the actor is currently shooting for his upcoming film Marshal, in which he co-stars with Kalyani Priyadarshan.
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