Con City director Harish Durairaj: 'I genuinely wondered if I had lost my mind'

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Con City director Harish Durairaj: 'I genuinely wondered if I had lost my mind'

Synopsis

First-time director Harish Durairaj staked his savings, relationships, and eleven years of filmmaking experience on Con City — a family entertainer releasing Friday. His pre-release note is a rare, raw confession from an indie filmmaker who went all in, and the early warmth from audiences and press has made, as he puts it, 'the risk feel worthwhile even before the result arrived.'

Key Takeaways

Con City releases in theatres on Friday, 27 June , starring Arjun Das and Anna Ben .
Director Harish Durairaj is also a producer on the film, having invested his personal savings into the project.
Durairaj spent eleven years as an assistant director before making his debut with Con City.
Producers Gunashekar M (Post Office) and Vijay MP (Silver Tree Studios) backed the film.
The film was inspired by Durairaj's childhood memories of watching movies with his family.

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.

Point of View

The line between creative risk and financial ruin is razor-thin. The industry celebrates its blockbusters but rarely pauses on the hundreds of debut directors who stake everything on a single film. Whether Con City succeeds or stumbles at the box office, Durairaj's candour about the personal cost of getting a film made deserves more attention than the usual pre-release publicity circuit affords.
NationPress
26 Jun 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Con City release in theatres?
Con City releases in theatres on Friday, 27 June. The film stars Arjun Das and Anna Ben in the lead roles and is directed by first-time director Harish Durairaj.
Who are the producers of Con City?
The film is produced by Gunashekar M of Post Office and Vijay MP of Silver Tree Studios. Director Harish Durairaj is also one of the producers, having invested his personal savings in the project.
What did Harish Durairaj say about making Con City?
Durairaj described Con City as 'the biggest risk of my life,' saying the film represented his savings, relationships, reputation, and eleven years of filmmaking experience. He also wrote that there were mornings when he 'genuinely wondered if I had lost my mind' while working on the script.
What inspired the story of Con City?
Durairaj has said the film was inspired by his childhood memories of watching movies with his family — his father, mother, and brothers. He wanted to create a family entertainer that audiences could watch together and 'leave with smiles on their faces.'
How long has Harish Durairaj been in the film industry?
Harish Durairaj first walked onto a film set eleven years ago as an assistant director. Con City is his feature directorial debut.
Nation Press
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