Netflix’s Tamil anthology Navarasa to be directed by Gautham Menon, Karthik Subbaraj, Arvind Swami, Bejoy Nambiar and more

It’s raining anthologies in Tamil cinema! After Amazon Prime Video’s Putham Pudhu Kaalai (2020), Gautham Menon’s Kutti Love Story and Netflix's own Paava Kadhaigal, Navarasa is the latest to join the group. The nine-film anthology, presented by filmmakers Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan, will be based on the nine rasas (emotions) of anger, compassion, courage, disgust, fear, laughter, love, peace and wonder.

Nine filmmakers — Gautham Menon, Karthik Subbaraj, Karthick Naren, Bejoy Nambiar, Arvind Swami, KV Anand, Ponraman Perumal, Rathindran Prasad and Halitha Shameem — will come together to share their perspective, each on a rasa.

The anthology will feature over 40 artistes, including veterans and stars like Arvind Swami, Suriya, Revathy, Vijay Sethupathi, Prakash Raj, Nithya Menen, Siddharth, Simha, Parvathy Thiruvothu and Aishwarya Rajesh.

Around several hundred creative and film technicians will work behind the scenes. The score will be composed by AR Rahman, D Imman, Ghibran, Aruldev, Karthick, Ron Ethan Yohann, Govind Vasantha and Justin Prabhakaran while writers Pattukottai Prabhakar, Selvaa, Madhan Karky and Someetharan are penning the nine films that make up the anthology.

The film community has come together to offer its services pro bono as the proceeds from the anthology will go towards the welfare of the Tamil film workers affected by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

Elaborating on Navarasa, Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan said, “We have always loved to brainstorm and come up with unique ideas to raise money for deserving causes. This time the brainstorming was for the cause of our own industry, to soothe and try and alleviate to some extent the agony of our people who had no work for months. The idea of making short films and raising money through them for this cause was born on one such brainstorming evening.

“We were thrilled when the idea resonated well instantly with leading directors, actors and technicians of the industry that we approached. The idea of Navarasa was a spark when we discussed it and the industry has come together to make it glow, give it soul and make it count for its people. We are happy that Netflix has come forward to take this confluence of emotion, talent, people and the cause to the world,” they added.

No release date has been set for the anthology, but it is likely to be released in 2021.