Fanatics Review: A faint attempt at capturing the marvel that is South Indian fan culture

From talking to people who truly define ‘die-hard fans’ to introspecting on this ever-growing culture with people from the industry, Fanatics somehow fails to capture the craziness of fan culture.

When people ask what sets Indian cinema apart from Western cinema, many may point to the obvious differences in culture and logistics. However, as an audience, we know that the true answer lies in the fan culture. Docubay’s Fanatics is a documentary that is focused on telling the stories of this cultural phenomenon of fan culture, especially in the South Indian film industry. The film takes us through the lives of hardcore fans who have dedicated their lives to admiring one person, more so like worshipping their beloved actor.

I am a Malayalee, born and raised in Mumbai, with good awareness of Malayalam cinema and its surrounding culture. This means that apart from engaging with films, I was also a part of heated discussions of people debating who is the best - Mohanlal or Mammootty. These conversations with friends and cousins, where we passionately argue over it, are also an inseparable part of my movie-watching experience. While the answer to that question will always be inconclusive, it is nearly impossible to convey what this vibrant culture truly means. The whole fan culture in India is a known phenomenon that we often talk about with admiration. While it is prominent all over India, the one in South India is something we have grown up listening to in awe. For something as huge as this culture, Fanatics does everything to give us a small glimpse of this vast world.

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The film starts off with the visuals of a very crowded street, with fans celebrating the release of their beloved actor’s movie with a huge cut out of him in the background. Something that would be considered a trivial part of life is nothing short of a huge event for these fans. The film depends on the idea of how a South Indian fan is far more committed to a hero than the one in the North. I mean, we have heard stories of milk being poured on posters aka paal abhishekam, and fans cheering in the theatres to the level of not getting to hear a single dialogue from the movie. While these sound like a celebration, the film doesn't capture that craziness offline. 

This hour-long film by Santosh Raj and director Aryan D Roy captures the lives of a few fanatics who celebrate their actors who are adulated to the point where this idolization becomes their personality. For Sujith Thomas, a guy from Kerala’s Wayanad who was born with a cleft lip and palate, his admiration for Allu Arjun began from his film Aarya. As someone who was bullied as a child, he mentions how the movie saved his life and he started looking at the star as his elder brother. Meanwhile, for Saravanan, fandom goes beyond mere admiration; it approaches worship. He embodies countless fans who regard Rajinikanth not just as an actor, but as a God, taking on various religious practices to show his admiration for him. Listening to his story somehow just makes Saravanan wanting to build a temple for the actor seem completely normal.  

While we get to witness these individual stories, the film also highlights the growing culture of fan clubs and their impact on how people preserve a movie. As producer/distributor G Dhanajayan believes that it's these fan clubs that help to decide the success of a film, considering how they help fill up seats in the theatre. But writer and film historian, Mohan Raman refers to these devoted fans as "psycho fans," noting that they rarely criticize the actors' films, which can be unhelpful in assessing whether a movie truly works or not. What’s interesting about the film is its analytical perspective on fanaticism, represented by psychiatrist, Yamini Kannappan. However, this analytical approach can make the viewing experience somewhat dull at times. While we appreciate her ability to decode the subject, the theoretical manner in which she presents her insights often detracts from the entertainment value of the film.

Although we get a clip of Mahesh Babu addressing his fans by saying, 'You are my mother, you are father, you are my everything', it ties things together, showing us how it's about both, the fans and the actors. We also get a different perspective of it with Kiccha Sudeep! The actor who literally has a village full of fans, talks about the scary aspect of having such a fan following that only adds to the pressure to be careful with making mistakes. He goes on to call fans as people ‘who own them’ which is cemented by the dedication of these fans. It was only recently when the entire nation was shaken by the tragic news of a girl’s death in a stampede among Allu Arjun fans during an event for Pushpa 2. People gathered in large numbers to get a glimpse of their beloved actor only for the adrenaline of it causing them to be unaware of their surroundings. The actor, who realised the craziness among South Indian fans, although upset about how things can get unfortunate, talked about how this energy among fans could be used for something positive.

The film is an almost perfect love letter for every fan who sees their actors as more than just humans onscreen; they're like powerful demigods who impact fans' lives with their mere existence. 

Fanatics is currently streaming on DocuBay.