Con City director Harish Durairaj: 'I genuinely wondered if I had lost my mind'
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Harish Durairaj, the first-time director behind the upcoming family entertainer Con City, has penned a deeply personal note ahead of the film's theatrical release on Friday, 27 June. Starring Arjun Das and Anna Ben in the lead roles, the film marks the culmination of an eleven-year journey for Durairaj — one that began as an assistant director and ended with him betting everything he had on a single script.
Eleven Years in the Making
Durairaj recalled walking onto a film set for the first time eleven years ago as an assistant director. 'Today, my first film, CON CITY, releases in theatres. It's an incredible feeling filled with excitement, gratitude, and a little nervousness,' he wrote in a statement shared across his social media timelines. The director is also one of the film's producers, which meant the stakes were deeply personal — financial, creative, and emotional.
The Risk Behind the Camera
'There were mornings when I sat with the script and genuinely wondered if I had lost my mind,' Durairaj wrote candidly. 'This was not just a film. It was my savings, my relationships, my reputation, and eleven years of everything I had learned poured into one single bet. Con City became the biggest risk of my life.' The admission offers a rare, unfiltered glimpse into the anxiety that shadows independent filmmaking in the Tamil film industry, where first-time directors routinely stake personal capital alongside creative ambition.
Gratitude to Producers and Supporters
Durairaj reserved his warmest words for producers Gunashekar M of Post Office and Vijay MP of Silver Tree Studios. 'Without these two brothers believing in me, supporting me, and standing by my side, this journey to the big screen would not have been possible. Forever grateful,' he said. He also thanked journalists, early viewers, and fans who streamed songs or shared promotional material before the film's release. 'You made the risk feel worthwhile even before the result arrived,' he wrote.
The Family Memory That Inspired Con City
At the heart of Durairaj's note is a childhood memory — the simple joy of walking into a cinema hall holding his father's hand, with his mother and brothers by his side. 'There had been something magical about watching a film together as a family, laughing together, feeling together, and carrying those memories home,' he wrote. That sentiment, he said, was the creative seed for Con City. 'While writing and making this film, I often imagined myself as that little boy again, walking into a theatre with his family, excited for an evening of pure entertainment. More than anything, I wanted to create a film that families could watch together and leave with smiles on their faces.'
What to Expect
Con City is positioned as a family entertainer aimed at broad theatrical audiences. The pre-release response — from press coverage to audience engagement on social media — has reportedly been warm, giving Durairaj cautious confidence ahead of opening day. Whether the film translates that goodwill into box-office numbers will become clear over the release weekend.