▁called ▁A ▁for ▁Apple ▁Production ▁and ▁joint ly ▁produced ▁his ▁first ▁film ▁with ▁Fox ▁Star ▁Studios ; ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁Sang ili ▁B ung ili ▁K ad h ava ▁Th ora e , ▁a ▁horror ▁comedy ▁film ▁written ▁and ▁directed ▁by ▁I ke ▁Rad ha ▁and ▁st arring ▁Ji iva , ▁S rid iv ya ▁and ▁So ori . ▁His ▁next ▁film , ▁M ers al , ▁st arring ▁V ij ay , ▁N ith ya ▁Men on , ▁K aj al ▁A gg ar wal , ▁Sam anth a ▁and ▁S . ▁J . ▁S ury a , ▁with ▁music ▁by ▁A . ▁R . ▁Rah man ▁and ▁produced ▁by ▁Sri ▁Then andal ▁Films , ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁Di w ali ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁Crit ics ▁pra ised ▁V ij ay ' s ▁performance , ▁A . ▁R . ▁Rah man ' s ▁sound track , ▁the ▁cinemat ography , ▁the ▁social ▁message ▁and ▁K umar ' s ▁direction ; ▁M ers al ▁also ▁proved ▁a ▁commercial ▁success , ▁gross ing ▁ ₹ 2 5 1 ▁cr ore ▁( US $ 3 9 . 5 ▁million ) ▁world wide ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁fifth - high est - g ross ing ▁T amil ▁film ▁and ▁V ij ay ' s ▁highest - g ross ing ▁film ▁of ▁his ▁career . ▁K umar ' s ▁next ▁film , ▁Big il , ▁was ▁his ▁third ▁collaboration ▁with ▁V ij ay ▁and ▁released ▁on ▁Di w ali ▁ 2 0 1 9 .